Phu Nhuan District in Ho Chi Minh City

What is the quickest getaway from Ho Chi Minh City’s Center? Come to Phu Nhuan District, only 10 minutes away, and you can experience and learn more about the daily life of locals as well as try different cuisine they have to offer. It is a central district, but you can still find it less hustling but no less exciting than District 1.

Map of Phu Nhuan District's Attractions:

Phu Nhuan District Overview

Phu Nhuan name has been adopted since the 17th century to name a village of Gia Dinh Citadel (former Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City). The people who originally lived in the village were Khmer people, but later, people from all cross of life (especially people in northern Vietnam) came to the place to make a living from doing agriculture. The families of soldiers in Gia Dinh Citadel and a small Chinese community also chose to reside here, making a mixture of different cultures.

After several centuries, Phu Nhuan is now one of the central districts of Ho Chi Minh City, bordering with other districts like Go Vap District in the north, Tan Binh District in the west, Binh Thanh District in the east, and District 1 and District 3 in the south. You can easily go from one district to another via streets like Le Van Sy, Hoang Van Thu, Phan Dang Luu, Phan Dinh Phung, and Nguyen Kiem Streets. Unlike other streets in Ho Chi Minh City which are usually named after heroic figures or numbered, an area near Phan Xich Long Street has 13 streets named after flowers’ names like Hoa Mai (ochna tree flower), Hoa Dao (peach tree flower), Hoa Phuong (flame tree flower), and Hoa Su (plumeria tree flower).

On the total area of 4.9 square kilometers with a lot of waterways around like Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal, as the name “Phu Nhuan” suggested (means prosperity in Vietnamese), there are a lot of business and activities in Phu Nhuan District from foods and beverage to retails, carpentry and trading.

How to Get to Phu Nhuan District

From Tan Son Nhat Airport, it only takes you about 10 minutes to Phu Nhuan District by taxis. And from Phu Nhuan District to District 1’s center, it would take another 10 minutes. For detailed taxi fare, check our guide Travel Ho Chi Minh City by Taxi.

You can also use the shuttle buses from Tan Son Nhat Airport, which have stop stations at hotels on Nguyen Van Troi Street in Phu Nhuan District.

Attractions in Phu Nhuan District

There are many temples and pagodas across the Phu Nhuan District, many of which are from the 19th century. Besides, you can also visit and admire the architecture of the tombs of many Nguyen Dynasty’s generals and other historical attractions and religious sites.

Eating in Phu Nhuan District

If you are a foodie, you cannot miss out a food adventure in Phu Nhuan District. There are many famous food streets with restaurants lined up waiting for you to explore. You can find restaurants of Vietnamese cuisine as well as Thai, Korean, Japan, Chinese, Western dishes, from fancy ones, to bistros, local and street style. Eating in Phu Nhuan District will not leave you hungry.

Shopping in Phu Nhuan District

Even though Phu Nhuan District has a lot of retails and trading activities, but most of them are small businesses of the locals. You will not find any fancy shopping malls, but you can definitely buy some good items at an affordable price here. The oldest market in the district is Phu Nhuan Market which has been around since 1850 and has a lot to offer for great souvenirs and local experience.

Nightlife in Phu Nhuan District

The night is when most people gather in beer and snails restaurants on Truong Sa Street, Phu Nhuan District after long hours of work.

It is also time for young Saigonese to go out and have foods and street foods at places like Phan Xich Long Street and Phu Nhuan Market, or to shop for clothes in stores on Tran Quang Dieu Street and Tran Huy Lieu Street.

Summary on Phu Nhuan District in Ho Chi Minh City

Phu Nhuan District in Ho Chi Minh City has a lot to offer from delicious dishes from Vietnam and around the world to shopping streets, cafe and local markets with a variety of things for you to explore. You can also visit several religious sites and attractions in Phu Nhuan District to understand more about Vietnamese culture and history. Days and nights the district is full of life with people, but it is not as crowded as District 1 to ensure you have quality leisure time.

Learn more about other districts with our guide Ho Chi Minh City Districts Overview.

Or explore Ho Chi Minh City on the motorbike with our Day Adventure, Night Adventure, Food Tour, and Saigon’s Other Side.