HA NOI (VNS) — Long Bien Market in the centre of Ha Noi has been named by travel website gobackpacking.com in top five most exciting markets in Southeast Asia.

This biggest central food distribution market in Ha Noi is described by the website as "alive and booming with customers, transportation and delivery vehicles everyday in the early morning hours".

According to the website, the market, which is located to the north of the capital's Old Quarter, impresses with the huge quantity of fresh produce, including giant piles of herbs, tonnes of vegetables and tropical fruit that cover the market and sprawl out onto the adjacent streets.

The Chatuchak Market in Bangkok tops the list and is described as one of the city's biggest attractions for both locals and tourists.

Gobackpacking.com was founded in 1998 by David Lee, a well-known travel blogger, and is a popular online guide to independent travel and one of the top 100,000 sites in the world. — VNS