Line 1 > Ben Thanh Station (Ga Bến Thành) [L1-01]
Ben Thanh Station is the largest station of the HCMC Metro. The station is underground in front of Ben Thanh Market in District 1. the station currently serves Line 1, and in the future it will include Line 2, Line 3A (the extension of Line 1), and Line 4.
The station was built under Quach Thị Trang Square, which was a large traffic circle in front of the market. This large space in the city centre gave the HCMC Metro the chance to build a purpose-built 3-line interchange station.
The architectural highlight of Ben Thanh Station is the skylight.
The skylight is above the entrance and exit of Line 1, adding natural light in this cavernous space.
Ben Thanh Station gates
Ben Thanh Station is accessible via 6 gates.
Gate 1 is opposite Nguyen Thi Nghia Park and it’s the largest station entrance. Gate 1 has an escalator (one going up) and an elevator. This is the only accessible gate at Ben Thanh for wheelchair access and mobility requirements.
Gate 2 is at the pedestrian plaza between Le Lai and Tran Hung Dao.
Gate 3 is located next to Ben Thanh Market near the West Gate (Cửa Tây) on Phan Chu Trinh.
Gate 4 is a temporary gate in the abandoned One Central Saigon Complex. The gate is closed for passenger use but the passage remains open as an additional emergency exit. There will most likely be a shopping plaza here so you will enter the station via the building basement level.
Gate 5 is the second gate that is part of the One Central Saigon Complex. The gate is at Pho Duc Chinh Street, though the gate has since been closed. The gate is a temporary structure as an additional emergency exit, and it will be in a different location once the underground plaza of One Central Saigon is completed.
Gate 6 is in front of the historic Vietnam Railways Building.
Ben Thanh Station map
[Map of Ben Thanh Station.]
Links and resources
Wikipedia: Bến Thành station.
Future Southeast Asia: Construction history of Ben Thanh metro station.