Dated travel updates for Phu Quoc
Update · 1 April 2026 (latest official statement found)
The Duong Dong night market: what happened to the site
The night market on Bach Dang street, by the Dinh Cau shrine in Duong Dong, saw its ten-year lease end on 31 December 2025, and the special zone says trading there no longer has a sufficient legal basis. A temporary extension ran to 28 February 2026. On 1 April the special zone said it would not scrap the market and was studying new sites; we found no later official decision.
- lease on the Bach Dang site ended
- 31 Dec 2025
- temporary extension ended
- 28 Feb 2026
- new sites under study
- 1 Apr 2026
The change at a glance
Sources: Tien Phong — 'no question of removing the night market' (1 Apr 2026); Tuoi Tre — Phu Quoc will keep a night market (1 Apr 2026) · checked .
Timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September 2015 | Lease signed for the Bach Dang walking street and night market, ten years | Tien Phong, 1 Apr 2026 |
| 23 Dec 2025 | Operator told to settle debts and hand back the land when the lease ends | Tien Phong; Znews |
| 31 Dec 2025 | Lease ends | Tien Phong, 1 Apr 2026 |
| January 2026 | Trading allowed through Tet 2026, with tighter food-safety, fire and hygiene conditions, described as a final transition | PLO; Doanh nghiep Hoi nhap, 15 Jan 2026 |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Stop date reported as after 28 February | VnExpress, 17 Jan 2026 |
| 28 Feb 2026 | Temporary extension ends | Tien Phong, 1 Apr 2026 |
| 1 Mar 2026 | Power and water cut at the site; some vendors run generators | Tuoi Tre, 8 Mar 2026 |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Deadline for handing over the site | Tuoi Tre, 1 Apr 2026 |
| 1 Apr 2026 | Chairman meets 18 vendor households: "no question of removing the night market"; new sites being surveyed | Tien Phong, 1 Apr 2026 |
Sources: Tien Phong — 'no question of removing the night market' (1 Apr 2026); Znews — handover of the Bach Dang site agreed; PLO — trading allowed through Tet 2026; Doanh nghiep Hoi nhap — last nights before closure (15 Jan 2026); VnExpress — where to go after the Duong Dong market closes (17 Jan 2026); Tuoi Tre (Phu Nu) — vendors run generators (8 Mar 2026); Tuoi Tre — Phu Quoc will keep a night market (1 Apr 2026) · checked .
What the special zone said on 1 April
At a meeting with 18 vendor households on the morning of 1 April 2026, the chairman of the Phu Quoc special zone People's Committee said there was no question of scrapping the night market, which he described as part of the island's plan for a night-time economy. The authorities were surveying and studying new locations so that trading could be organised on a longer-term basis.
The special zone's economic department told the meeting that the leases had expired and that continuing to trade at the current site no longer had enough legal basis under new rules on market management and road traffic safety. A separate lease signed in 2017 for 1,425 m² was expected to run into 2026. Vendors made three requests: keep the market on Bach Dang street, extend trading to the end of 2026, or provide a new site that keeps the market's name. Vendors who wanted to keep trading were encouraged to find suitable premises themselves while waiting, and the operator was asked to move out and hand back the site properly.
Sources: Tien Phong — 'no question of removing the night market' (1 Apr 2026); Tuoi Tre — Phu Quoc will keep a night market (1 Apr 2026) · checked .
Where things stood on 12 October 2026
We found no official notice after 1 April 2026 naming a new site, setting a date for it, or confirming whether any trading continued on Bach Dang street. Travel articles that still describe the market at its old location may quote opening hours from 2019, when VnExpress reported it running from about 17:00 to 23:00. Those hours describe a market that has since lost its lease, so we do not publish opening hours.
The Dinh Cau shrine on the rocks at the mouth of the Duong Dong river is a separate place and is not part of the lease dispute; the market is often named after it.
Sources: VnExpress — the night market in 2019; Tien Phong — 'no question of removing the night market' (1 Apr 2026) · checked .
Evening markets reported as alternatives
When the closure was announced in January 2026, VnExpress listed three evening markets elsewhere on the island. They are run as part of larger leisure developments, and their hours and stalls are set by those operators:
- South-west, Sunset Town (An Thoi area): a market along the western shore with more than 100 stalls, listed by VnExpress as VUI-Fest Bazaar; the operator's page calls it the Vui Phet night market and, read on 11 October 2026, gave 16:00 to midnight.
- West coast, Bai Truong: a night market on the Sonasea walking street along Tran Hung Dao road, more than 100 stalls, reported open 16:00–23:00 daily in January 2026.
- North, Grand World: a night market inside the Grand World complex, reported as open late, with no hours given.
Sources: VnExpress — where to go after the Duong Dong market closes (17 Jan 2026) · checked .
When the trip into town is not worth it
If the old night market was your main reason for an evening in Duong Dong, check the latest situation before you set out, especially if you are staying in the north or south of the island, where the drive into Duong Dong is a long one. An evening by the Dinh Cau shrine at sunset, or at the town's riverside, does not depend on the market. If you were going for the stalls, the alternatives above are closer to the main resort areas.
Sources: Sun World — getting to the Vui Phet night market · checked .
What to check before you go
- Ask your hotel whether trading is still happening on Bach Dang street, or where it has moved.
- Check the special zone's portal and national newspapers for a notice naming a new site.
- Treat opening hours in older articles as out of date.
- If you go to one of the alternatives, check its operator's current hours for your date.
- Our What's changed log will carry the date of any new decision.
Common questions
Questions readers send
Is the Phu Quoc night market closed?
The lease on its Bach Dang street site ended on 31 December 2025 and the temporary extension ended on 28 February 2026. On 1 April 2026 the special zone said it would keep a night market and was studying new sites. We found no later official notice of a new site as of 12 October 2026.
What are the night market's opening hours?
We do not publish hours, because the market has lost its lease and no new site had been announced when we checked. Hours quoted in older articles date from before the change.
Is the Dinh Cau shrine affected?
No. The shrine is a separate place at the river mouth; only the market site on Bach Dang street was covered by the lease.
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Update log · Checked 12 October 2026
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