Hoc Mon is a tranquil village-style district, but there are a lot of amusement parks, sightseeing, religious sites and historical sites to relieve your stress as well as acquire some historical knowledge.
Map of Hoc Mon District’s Attractions:
Hoc Mon District Overview
Hoc Mon District is a suburban district in the Northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, adjacent to District 12 and Cu Chi District. To be precise, this district borders Cu Chi District in the north, District 12 in the south, Binh Chanh District, Binh Tan District, and Long An Province in the west. In the east, Hoc Mon District borders with Binh Duong Province at the Saigon River.
Despite being listed as a district belonging to Ho Chi Minh City, Hoc Mon District is still a suburban area with many fields, and a large number of the locals here are farmers or do handicrafts for a living. Since agriculture is the strength of Hoc Mon District, this area has a very big vegetable wholesale market, which supplies various types of fruits, vegetables and more than 50% of pork for Ho Chi Minh City.
Hoc Mon Vegetable Wholesale Market
Origin of the Name – Hoc Mon
In the 17th and 18th century, some people in the Northern and Central Vietnam could not endure the harsh rules of the feudal Trinh – Nguyen Dynasty, so they migrated to a new land in the South, which is now known as Hoc Mon, and set up villages and farms. Initially, they formed 6 villages and gradually developed into 18 of them. At the beginning of the 19th century, some villages in Hoc Mon was still untamed with animals like the tigers and forest with many watery trees called “Mon”. And since then, people have been calling the land “Hoc Mon” meaning farmland with a lot of “Mon” trees.
How to Get to Hoc Mon District
Located at the gateway of the city, Hoc Mon has a quite complete system of national roads and provincial roads for the locals. You can reach this district easily by bus, motorbikes or cars.
Bus
There is a popular bus station in Hoc Mon District – An Suong Station, where plenty of buses go in and out every day. Therefore, there are many bus routes that you can take to visit Hoc Mon District. For example, if you start from Tan Son Nhat Airport, take the bus route 159. If you are at Ben Thanh Market, you can go to Ham Nghi Street and take bus route 04. All these buses will take you straight to Hoc Mon District.
See our guide for taking a bus in Ho Chi Minh City.
Cost: VND 6,000 – VND 12,000
Cars and motorbikes
It takes approximately 1 hour riding a scooter from District 1 to Hoc Mon District. If you start from Ben Thanh Market, you just need to drive one straight road to reach Hoc Mon District.
Cost:
VND 20,000 for motorbike fuel
VND 250,000 – VND 350,000 for taxi
Related articles:
Renting a Motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City.
Renting a Car in Ho Chi Minh City.
Attractions in Hoc Mon District
Among other attractions in Hoc Mon District, Rin Rin Park, a recent construction, is the highlight of this town.
The scenery at in Rin Park
Rin Rin Park is covered by the greens of the trees and grass. All plants, bonsai, perennials, and rocks in this park are imported from Japan. Many plants are trimmed meticulously into beautiful shapes. Besides, there are hundred-year-old trees that are arranged in harmony to create a green space.
Colorful Koi fishes in Rin Rin Park
There are more than 200 colorful Koi fishes in the lake. These fishes are imported from Japan. The longevity of these fishes can be over 60 years.
Besides Rin Rin Park, Nga ba Giong also attracts many tourists, especially those who take an interest in history. This place is about 10 hectares and was one of the French’s firing fields in the Indochina war. At this place, 903 Vietnam Communist soldiers were executed in 1940, including famous people like Nguyen Van Cu (General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam), and Phan Dang Luu (Central Party Commissioner). In 2002, this place was recognized as a national historic site.
Monument for the heroic martyrs
Here are interesting attractions in Hoc Mon District listed below.
| Name | Entrance Fee | Address | Category |
| Rin Rin Park | VND 50,000/adult | 87/8P Xuan Thoi Thuong 6, Xuan Thoi Dong Commune | Park |
| Hoang Phap Pagoda | Free | Tan Hiep Commune | Religious site |
| 18 Trau Villages | Free | 85/1B Tay Lan Hamlet, Ba Diem Commune | Historical site |
| Nga ba Giong (Nga Ba Giong Martyrs Monument) | Free | Phan Van Hon, Xuan Thoi Thuong Commune | Monument and Religious site |
| Ma Non Ecotourism | Free entrance Charging additional fees for foods and other services | 187 Highway 22, Tan Hiep Commune | Ecotourism and Restaurant |
| Vinh Phuoc Pagoda | Free | 2810 Highway 22, Tan Thoi Nhat Commune | Religious site |
| Phan Van Hon Temple | Free | Ba Diem Commune | Religious site |
| Phap Buu Pagoda | Free | 1/4 Bui Cong Trung, Dong Thanh Commune | Religious site |
| Giac Hoang Pagoda | Free | 26/7 Tien Lan Hamlet, Ba Diem Commune | Religious site |
| Giac Nguyen Pagoda | Free | 1/10C Highway 22, Tan Thoi Nhi Commune | Religious site |
| Linh Son Pagoda | Free | G89 Hau Lan Hamlet, Ba Diem Commune | Religious site |
| Kite Flying Field | Free | Highway 22 | Entertainment |
Hoang Phap Pagoda is a very big religious site in Hoc Mon District. On the full moon day, many people from other districts come here to practice Zen meditation and pray good things for their families.
Zen practitioners gather at Hoang Phap Pagoda
| To have fun trips in Ho Chi Minh City, check out our authentic motorbike tours with professional local guides! |
Eating in Hoc Mon District
Although Hoc Mon District is not as urbanized as other areas of Ho Chi Minh city, this place has its downtown, which is extremely crowded and vibrant at night with many restaurants and street foods. Many worldwide and domestic branches have also made their way to Hoc Mon District, resulting in many familiar restaurants here such as KFC or Lotteria.
These restaurants and food stall usually gather in a few popular streets listed below:
| Category | Location |
| Street eats, bars & club, coffee shops | Nguyen Anh Thu Street, Le Thi Ha Street, Song Hanh Street, Hoc Mon Market |
| Franchises | International: KFC, Lotteria, Domino Pizza, Pizza Hut, Gogi House, Dairy Queen Grill and Chill Local: ABC Bakery, Givral Bakery |
| Cafe and Restaurants | Nguyen Anh Thu Street, Le Thi Ha Street, Dang Thuc Vinh Street, Song Hanh Street |
Shopping in Hoc Mon District
As a suburban district, there is no shopping mall here, but you can enjoy the local markets for a different discovery experience. At these markets, many fresh vegetables, meat (pork, beef, chicken), tropical fruits and local specialties are available at very reasonable prices. You can also practice your bargain skills while shopping with friendly vendors.
| Category | Address | What to Buy |
| Supermarkets | Coopmart Dang Thuc Vinh, Thoi Tam Thon Commune | |
| Local Markets | Hoc Mon Vegetable Wholesale Market – 17/4A Nguyen Thi Soc, Xuan Thoi Dong Commune Hoc Mon Market – Hoc Mon Town, on the junction of Trung Nu Vuong Street and Quang Trung Street Bui Mon Market – Highway 22, Xuan Thoi Dong Commune (near the junction of Highway 22 and Le Thi Ha Street) Dong Thanh Market – Dang Thuc Vinh Street, Dong Thanh Commune (near People’s Committee of Dong Thanh Commune) Ba Diem Market – 13/7 Phan Van Hon, Ba Diem Commune | Clothes, fruits, vegetables, and meats |
| Bookstore | Nhan Van Bookstore – 56/8 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoc Mon Town Nguyen Van Cu Bookstore – 15/4 Phan Van Hon, Ba Diem Commune | Book, stationery, gift, and souvenir |
Nightlife in Hoc Mon District
In contrast with day time, when the night falls, people here hang out to enjoy dining or shopping. There are a few bars and clubs in the district; they are not too fancy but enough to meet and make new friends and drink cheap beer.
Inside a restaurant in Hoc Mon District
View from a rooftop restaurant
Besides, there are plenty of tasty local cheap eats on the pavements.
Smoking sausage food stall on the pavement in Hoc Mon District
Summary of Hoc Mon District in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is a metropolitan city, and thus, there are many different aspects hidden in local markets or suburban districts like Hoc Mon District are waiting for you to discover.
If you are new to this city, check out Saigon’s other side tour to see the city unseen.