Sapa (Prague)

TTTM Sapa
Ethnic enclave
South entrance to TTTM Sapa, 2023
Etymology: Sa Pa
Nicknames: 
  • Sapa
  • Little Hanoi
  • Prague's Hanoi
  • Little Saigon
Interactive map of TTTM Sapa
Coordinates: 50°0′12″N 14°28′13″E / 50.00333°N 14.47028°E / 50.00333; 14.47028
CountryCzech Republic
CityPrague
DistrictPrague-Libuš
Cadastral areaPísnice
Websitesapapraha.cz

Sapa, officially TTTM Sapa (Vietnamese: Trung Tâm Thương Mại Sapa, Chinese: 中心商賣沙垻), sometimes called Little Hanoi, Little Saigon, or Prague's Hanoi,[1] is the largest Vietnamese enclave in the Czech Republic, located in the Libuš and Kunratice districts.[2] It was created within the area of a former meat-packing plant and poultry farm around 2000 and is often referred to as a "city within a city" by the media.[3] After Ukrainians and Slovaks, Vietnamese are the largest ethnic minority in the country, with Sapa being the so-called Czech "Vietnamese capital".[4] Sapa offers many restaurants, food stands, specialized grocery stores, a warehouse club called Tamda Foods, tutoring and childcare services, space for social events, and a Buddhist temple. The total area is 35 hectares (86 acres), and as of 2012, around seven thousand people lived and worked there.[2]

Description

As of 2012, over 7,000 people, mostly Vietnamese, were doing business in Sapa, in an area of approximately 35 hectares.[5][6] The compound includes shops selling clothes, household goods, books, and food, and there are numerous restaurants as well as a warehouse club called Tamda Foods.[5][6] Sapa also offers services such as travel and insurance agencies, international remittances, hairdressers and nail salons, legal consulting, a post office, a wedding hall, a kindergarten, Vietnamese periodicals, a recording studio, and a Buddhist temple.[5][6] The area also has several gambling halls.[5][6]

History

Origins of Sapa: 1990s–2000s

The area currently occupied by Sapa in Písnice used to be a meat-packing plant and a poultry farm, which ceased to operate in 1999[7] and 2007,[8] respectively. The premises of both establishments were subsequently acquired by the Vietnamese company Saparia, and the area began its transformation into a center for trade, food, services, and culture.

On 17 April 2012, the civic associations META and Klub Hanoi organized a guided tour of Sapa for the public, whose aim was to show that the area was not a "wild Asian jungle". Visitors had the opportunity to visit the kindergarten, the Buddhist temple, and a shop selling traditional Vietnamese food.[9]

Since 2016, regular tours have been organized by the Sapa Trip group to introduce visitors not only to the area itself but also to Vietnamese cuisine and the community's culture in the Czech Republic.[10]

Unrealized expansion plan: 2011–2012

In November 2011, Saparia announced that it had submitted a plan for the redevelopment of the site to the Ministry of the Environment as part of an environmental impact assessment process, and that it was preparing materials for a major modernization of Sapa.[11][12] The site was to be expanded by several hectares,[12][13] and the redevelopment was to be completed by 2020.[11] Saparia purchased land for the purpose,[14] and among other things, the plan called for the construction of the largest Buddhist temple in the Czech Republic.[13][14] However, municipal and district authorities decided to prevent the expansion due to allegations made by the Czech secret service of the presence of illicit drugs, money laundering, and tax evasion, as well as the possibility of organized crime activity.[12] Then-district mayor, Petr Mráz, claimed that crime was on the rise within the enclave.[14]

Prague Metro Line D: 2022–2036

The ongoing expansion of the Prague Metro,[15] whose new Line D will include the stop Písnice, is set to be complete in 2036.[16] The new line is predicted to improve access to the community.

Phạm Minh Chính visit: 2025

In January 2025, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visited Sapa as part of his visit to the Czech Republic upon the invitation of Prime Minister Petr Fiala.[17] He was joined by a number of Vietnamese ministers, trade representatives, and journalists.[17]

Incidents and issues

Fires

In September 1999, on the basis of perceived risk within the compound, the Prague Fire Brigade organized a fire drill in Sapa.[18]

November 1999

On 20 November 1999, a fire broke out in Sapa, as a result of an explosion. It spread extremely quickly, and a total of 21 firefighting units intervened. Eight firefighters were injured, two of them seriously. The damage was estimated at 200 million crowns, and the cause of the fire was determined to be arson.[18][19]

September 2008

Another fire erupted on 7 September 2008, during a renovation of the main hall,[20] with 80% of Prague's firefighters taking turns putting it out.[21] Three safety inspections were subsequently conducted, and the site operator was fined 250,000 crowns.[20][22]

November 2008

Yet another conflagration occurred within the hall on 6 November, with no loss of life.[20][22] The firefighting operation was one of the largest in Czech history. 954 firefighters from 81 units and 6 regions participated;[23] the full firefighting effort lasted 181 hours.[23] According to several reports, the smoke could be smelled across Prague.[22] The police investigation ruled out arson and stated that the cause of the fire was either negligence or technical defects.[22] The site operator was fined half a million CZK, and the total damage exceeded 200 million CZK.[22]

June 2018

A minor fire broke out in Sapa's main hall on 11 June 2018.[24] The cause of the fire was deemed to be faulty electrical wiring, and the damage was estimated at several tens of thousands of crowns.[24]

June 2024

On 10 June 2024, two stalls within Sapa burned down, causing estimated damage of two million crowns.[25][26]

December 2024

On 24 December 2024, a warehouse caught fire in Sapa, and a two-alarm fire was declared.[27] The owner of the warehouse was injured, and property damage was estimated at three million crowns.[27]

Sapa has frequently been accused of harboring a variety of illegal activity, and it has been plagued with problems involving illicit drugs, prostitution, unsanitary conditions,[28] money laundering, tax evasion, the sale of counterfeit goods,[29][30] and even the occasional murder.[31][32][33] The area has at times had its own specialized police unit, which is no longer active.[34]

The 2018 Czech film Miss Hanoi, starring David Novotný and Ha Thanh Špetlíková as a pair of detectives investigating a murder in the Vietnamese community, was filmed in Sapa.[35]

  • Entrance to the Buddhist temple complex
  • Sapa's Buddhist temple
  • Statue of Buddha
  • Korean store in Sapa
  • Shops inside Sapa
  • Shops inside Sapa
  • Shops inside Sapa
  • Shops inside Sapa
  • View of the south entrance from the inside
  • Hippo cafe
  • Phương Liȇn restaurant
  • Aerial view

References

  1. ^ "OP LZZ pomáhá zlepšovat situaci v areálu SAPA" [OP HZZ helps improve the situation on the SAPA campus]. esfcr.cz (in Czech). 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Sapa: Little Hanoi in Prague". prague.tips. 9 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Víkend: SAPA aneb město ve městě" [Weekend: SAPA, or a city within a city]. nova.cz (in Czech). 25 November 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  4. ^ Zvonková (8 August 2013). "Sapa Vietnamese Market". Prague Off the Map. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d "V tržnici Sapa na vás byznys čeká i na toaletě. Nechybí tam nic" [At the Sapa Market, business awaits you even in the toilets. There is nothing missing there]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 18 April 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d "Malá Hanoj oslavovala. Nahlédněte do prostředí českých Vietnamců" [Little Hanoi celebrated. Take a look into the environment of Czech Vietnamese]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 17 September 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Satrapa: dobrá idea, špatné hospodaření" [Satrapa: good idea, bad management]. agris.cz (in Czech). 22 January 2000. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  8. ^ "O Xaverov se zajímají také majitelé vietnamské tržnice" [The owners of a Vietnamese market are also interested in Xaverov]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 31 October 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Centrum vietnamské komunity Sapa otevřelo dveře veřejnosti. Naše redaktorka byla u toho" [The Sapa Vietnamese Community Center opened its doors to the public. Our editor was there]. rozhlas.cz (in Czech). 18 April 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Jsme pyšný vietnamsko-český tým" [We are a proud Vietnamese-Czech team]. sapatrip.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Vietnamci změní obří tržnici Sapa v malé město. Bude tu lékař i školka" [Vietnamese people are turning the giant Sapa market into a small town. There will be a doctor and a kindergarten]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 27 October 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b c "Tajné služby varují před asijskou tržnicí Sapa kvůli drogám a praní peněz" [Secret Service Issues Warning About Asian Market Sapa due to Drugs and Money Laundering]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 16 November 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  13. ^ a b "V Praze by mohl být větší buddhistický chrám, plánují Vietnamci" [There could be a larger Buddhist temple in Prague, the Vietnamese are planning]. prazsky.denik.cz (in Czech). 17 April 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  14. ^ a b c "V pražské Libuši plánují domobranu. Proti Vietnamcům z Malé Hanoje" [They are planning a militia in Prague's Libuš against the Vietnamese from Little Hanoi]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 5 April 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Prague plans new metro line to serve southern suburbs". radio.cz. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  16. ^ Metro D construction schedule, 1 January 2026
  17. ^ a b "Linka Sapa-Fiala-Pavel. Vietnamský premiér řešil s Čechy i "prokletý spoj" do Hanoje" [Sapa-Fiala-Pavel line. Vietnamese Prime Minister also discussed the "cursed connection" to Hanoi with the Czechs]. CNN Prima NEWS (in Czech). Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Požár tržnice SAPA v roce 1999" [SAPA Market Fire in 1999]. praha.eu (in Czech). Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  19. ^ "1999: Při požáru pražské tržnice se jeden z hasičů propadl do ohnivého pekla, kolegové ho zachránili" [1999: During a fire in the Prague market, one of the firefighters fell into the fiery inferno. His colleagues saved him]. pozary.cz (in Czech). 21 November 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  20. ^ a b c "Požár tržnice Vietnamce zruinoval, řekl on-line jejich český předseda" [Market fire ruined Vietnamese, their Czech chairman said online]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 7 November 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Obří požár "čínské čtvrti" zaměstnal skoro všechny pražské hasiče" [The giant fire in "Chinatown" has occupied almost all of Prague's firefighters]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 7 September 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  22. ^ a b c d e "Policie: Asijskou tržnici SAPA nikdo úmyslně nezapálil" [Police: No one intentionally set fire to the SAPA Asian Market]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 14 January 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  23. ^ a b "06.11.2008: Tržnici SAPA v Praze v průběhu několika dnů hasilo 81 jednotek a skoro 1000 hasičů" [06.11.2008: The SAPA market in Prague was extinguished by 81 units and almost 1,000 firefighters over the course of several days.]. pozary.cz (in Czech). 8 November 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  24. ^ a b "Požár pod střechou haly v pražské Písnici likvidovali hasiči z několika jednotek" [Firefighters from several units extinguished the fire under the roof of a hall in Písnice, Prague]. pozary.cz (in Czech). 11 June 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  25. ^ "V areálu pražské tržnice SAPA hořely stánky! Škoda se odhaduje na dva miliony korun" [Stalls burned in the SAPA market area in Prague! Damage estimated at two million crowns]. jvpress.cz (in Czech). 10 June 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  26. ^ "Noční požár v tržnici zaměstnal hasiče: SAPA je ochuzenější o dva stánky!" [A nighttime fire in the market has kept firefighters busy: SAPA is two stalls poorer!]. blesk.cz (in Czech). 11 June 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  27. ^ a b "V pražské tržnici SAPA hořel sklad, jeden člověk se popálil" [A warehouse caught fire in the SAPA market in Prague, one person was injured]. novinky.cz (in Czech). 24 December 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  28. ^ "Kontrola zavřela část obří asijské tržnice Sapa v Praze kvůli myším" [Inspectors close part of giant Asian market Sapa in Prague due to mice]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 5 May 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Co je tržnice SAPA" [What is SAPA market?]. praha.eu (in Czech). Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  30. ^ "Osmičky na autě? Jede boss. Vietnamci v Sapě mají vlastní pravidla" [Eights on the car? The boss is driving. The Vietnamese in Sapa have their own rules]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 5 November 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  31. ^ "Video: V areálu vietnamské tržnice Sapa ležel zavražděný Vietnamec" [Video: Murdered Vietnamese man found lying in Sapa market]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 8 July 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  32. ^ "V pražské tržnici Sapa našli kriminalisté mrtvolu muže" [Criminal investigators found a man's body in Prague's Sapa market]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 28 July 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  33. ^ "Policie obvinila 24letého cizince z vraždy v pražské tržnici Sapa" [Police charge 24-year-old foreigner with murder in Prague's Sapa market]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 8 September 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  34. ^ "Pražskou "Malou Hanoj" ohlídá speciální tým policie, rozhodli politici" [Prague's "Little Hanoi" will be guarded by a special police team, politicians decided]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 12 October 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  35. ^ "Miss Hanoi". csfd.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 6 February 2026.
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