Bargaining is considered the mostcommon way to buy things in Saigon. Some often relish bargaining,others hate it. Yet, it is not that complicated if you think of it as aa harmonious Yin-Yang balance. You want the item, and the seller wantsyour money. Yin-Yang! The maximum price you are willing to pay is thevalue of your desire for the item. The minimum price the vendor iswilling to accept is the value of their desire for your money.Yin-Yang! Bargaining is simply a search for the Yin-Yang balancebetween your desire and the seller's. However, should the items haveprice labels, there is almost no bargaining.

Normally,you will have no problem filling your suitcase when shopping in Saigon.If you get hungry during your shopping spree, stop for some finger foodor relax in one of the Saigon Restaurants along the city's shoppingstreets.

Where should I go?
Asthe most active city in Vietnam, Hochiminh city offers an excellentvariety of clothing, ceramics, ethnic fabrics and lacquered bamboo.Once you are in Ho Chi Minh City, you will surely get spoilt for choiceof shops. Thus, to facilitate your selection, we offer a suggestedshopping zone list as follows:

Major shopping centers

• Tax Department Store - Intersection of Nguyen Hue and Le Loi Streets, District 1
• Ben Thanh market - District 1
• Binh Tay market - District 5, one of the main markets of Cholon (Chinatown)
• Diamond Plaza - 37 Le Duan, District 1

Have fun shopping in Ho Chi Minh City.

( nguyen trung toan)