Very crowded located right in the city center of Nha Trang, Dam Market, a colossal work of nice and distinctive architecture is worth visiting for tourists...
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Very crowded located right in the city center of Nha Trang, Dam Market, a colossal work of nice and distinctive architecture is worth visiting for tourists before leaving the hospitable and beautiful seaside city.
This market stands on what used to be a 7ha - wide swamp originating from the Cai River Estuary, below Ha Ra Bridge. The two sides used to be occupied with houses in a hustle, several of which were low-roofed ones. At the far end of the swamp connecting to Phan Boi Chau St. located an old market constructed in 1908, often called Dam Market or Cua Market (indicating the estuary). With the increasing population of the city, the market terrain became too small. The trade and house construction developed in disorder with filthiness and contamination causing many diseases to the city dwellers. Thus, the project of rebuilding the market became urgent.
In 1961, Khanh Hoa Construction Co. made a general project of building a round - shaped market in this area to replace the old one. The plan was made by Architect Le Anh Kim.
In 1964, the General Construction Services sketched out another plan put forward by Architect Le Qui Phong. The main part of the plan was building a circular market with a piled-up roof and a bow - shaped branch. This is the design to be adopted in the construction of the market as we see nowadays.
The two blue-prints hadn’t been carried out when on the night of September 16, 1968, a disastrous fire happened burning out 126 houses completely. The situation then became urgent. A plan of building a perfect market area of great size was made in the co-operation of many authorities in filling up the whole swamp, building a new market with the two trade areas combined with residential apartments, reconstructing the roads, the drainage…
The day of April 12, 1969 became the starting day of the project when the Bassa machine from the Saigon Seawaters Transport began their work to blow sand to fill up the swamp. After 6 months, the swamp was completely filled up with the total amount of sand of 350.000m3. The next work was to deal with the foundation and all the construction. Thousands of 20m reinforced concrete stakes were set up through the mud layers.
The plan was improved and supplemented by Architects Ho Thang, Vo Dinh Hiep and Nguyen Xuan Phuong. The main central building was built in the round shape with piled-up roofing in the V shape as a symbol of a lotus and its petals. The building had 66.5m diameter with a crescent -shaped floor. The total area was 5,270m2 with a capacity of over 3,000 people. In perspective with the round shaped building were the two four-storey buildings A and B. The ground floor was for trade activities and the upper floors were for accommodation built in an arch-form surrounding the main building. Each high building, 2,500 to 2,800m2 large, was nice-looking and very airy. The construction of the two high buildings started in early 1970 and finished in late 1972. The round-shape building and the whole market area were completed and put into use in 1974.
It is a pity that the Trade Center had not been in long use when in late March, 1975, it was badly demaged in fire. The building, round like a big lotus in full bloom right in the centre city became so badly damaged that could be no longer in use. The trade activities at the market continued but in bad order and hygienic conditions. A plan of repairing the whole market area was carried out with the Provincial Housing Design Institute and Construction Services. On February 3, 1980, on the occasion of commemorating of the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam as well as welcoming the Canh Than New Year, the opening ceremony of the general department store Cho Dam (Dam Market) was officially held in the attendance of many officials and other people inside and outside the province. The total use area accounted for the two floors of the well – rebuilt round-shaped building.
Today, when taking plane from Hanoi to Nha Trang, from above, you can get a glimpse of the whole city which looks like a big basket of flowers placed by the crystal-blue beach. From that basket pleasantly stands out a blooming lotus; that is the round Dam Market located near the middle of the swamp which once existed some ten years ago.
In 1985, in a picture gallery with the title: Nha Trang - Hue - Can Tho - Vestiges and beauty spots” organized by the Literature and Arts Association of the three localities. One of the outstanding sets of photos that interested viewers, especially Nha Trang City dwellers and was awarded by the organizing board was the set of 3 photos of Dam Market of the past and present taken from the same position and angle but at three different times: 1960, 1980 and 1985.
Nhu Thao
