Dong Ba is Hue's main commercial market, sprawling across several blocks just north of the Truong Tien Bridge on the Citadel side of the Perfume River. It has been the commercial heart of the city for over a century and remains emphatically local — not particularly tourist-oriented, which is part of its appeal.
The ground floor is given over to fresh produce, meat, and fish. Upper levels have textiles, household goods, and souvenir stalls selling silk scarves, lacquerware, and bronze reproductions of Nguyen imperial objects. The real reason to come is the food: the market's covered eating area serves bánh bèo (steamed rice cakes topped with dried shrimp), bánh nậm (flat rice dumplings wrapped in banana leaf), bánh khoái (crispy stuffed pancakes), and dozens of the small, intricate snacks that Hue's imperial court cuisine made famous. A meal of mixed small dishes rarely costs more than a few dollars. Get there before noon — the food stalls wind down by early afternoon.