Prague’s Sapa market

One of Prague’s best-hidden gems from mainstream society and tourism is its SAPA market. It’s also known as Little Hanoi and it’s full name is Trung Tâm Thương Mại Sapa. This place is the centre of Vietnamese culture and life in the Czech Republic.

Many people might notice that if they spend more than a few days in Prague, there are quite a few Vietnamese-owned shops called Potravinys. They are basically Prague’s version of Bodegas, shops where you can grab your essentials: fruit, sparkling water, cigarettes, beer, condoms, random snacks. My usual combination was some random fruit, coco-cola haribos, extra spicy ramen, and Mattoni sparkling water bottle. The owners are some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever seen. But what many do not notice is that Prague happens to be home to a very significant Vietnamese diaspora. The third-largest group of foreigners in the Czech Republic after Ukrainian and Russian are Vietnamese. A fair number of them obtain Czech citizenship, so some of those figures are left out. Most of them are in Prague, but there are many communities that are in the west of the country, close to the German border.

Many tourists and locals do not really get around to the Sapa market. I believe in my total 6 years in Prague; I had been there maybe 5 times, one of them was when I came back for a visit after leaving Prague. Not because of lack of interest, more because it was a bit of a pain in the ass to get there from my part of town, and I’m lazy. One thing notable about living in Prague is that people can be rather attached to their district, particularly people who live in a nice and famous district like Zizkov, Vinohrady, and Letna ( my old hood), and Vrsovice. I know some people who only leave their district to go to the airport or the train station. Sapa is a bit of a trek from the centre’s main parts, but definitely worth it. It is not that bad of a trek. Prague’s transportation is among the best in the world.

What can you find there?

Sapa offers many restaurants, food stands, and grocery stores. It’s a great place to have lunch on a weekend morning after a night out in Prague. A lot of the food is authentic and often cheaper than most places in Prague. It is where mostly where local Czech-Vietnamese business people eat. Although more people are visiting this place and there are even a couple of tours in this area, it is a good thing. It promotes social inclusion and bridges some of the gaps in society.

There are also warehouses and wholesale shop for Vietnamese vendors from all over the country. What is less well known to others is that that in addition to being a business centre, it is also a social centre. There are Czech classes offered. There are childcare programs. There are other social services offered as well. Many social events within the community are hosted here. There is even a lovely pagoda.

How do I get there?

Take Metro C ( The red line) to Chodov. Get out and take either buses 197 or 331 . The closest stop is Sídliště Písnice. It is about a 10-minute walk from the closest bus station. Make sure though to check with Moovit or Google maps. The routes might change around.

How did so many Vietnamese people end up in the Czech Republic?

Vietnamese migration to the Czech Republic started in the 1970s and 1980s when the Czechoslovak state recruited a fair number of guest workers from Vietnam. They also recruited a fair number of Vietnamese students. While quite a few returned, many elected to stay after the collapse of communism, and some even were able to bring some more of their family to the Czech Republic in the 1990s and 2000s. Some families have been there for several generations. Many of the first and generation and some of the second work as vendors, while some of the second and definitely the third generation have taken up different professions as they are more integrated into Czech society. Albeit slightly less significant, you can find some other sizable Vietnamese communities in Hungary and Poland.

How well are they accepted into Czech society?

While there are several different narratives to this, and many have different opinions. These are just my general observations and what I’ve learned from my time there and speaking with a couple of people who work in NGOs that deal with social inclusion. The first generation is far more isolated. The Czech language is one of the toughest languages to learn in the world. According to one of my friends who has worked as a Czech teacher in sapa, it is even more difficult for Vietnamese speakers than other foreigners.

I’m not an expert in linguistics, but I know that Czech is tough for most non-Slavic speakers, so many foreigners who move there as adults have a hard time grasping the language. I can definitely attest to this. I knew many Western European and North Americans that could barely order a beer. The few I knew that tried hard often managed to get to a lower intermediate and just stayed there. The very few that I knew who became fluent were mostly old-timer people in the 1990s and married Czechs. Czech is possible to learn from adulthood, but it takes a lot of time and hard work. So linguistically, the first generation has this barrier. Those born in the Czech Republic or who arrived as children have a much easier time as almost all attend public schools and have a much easier time. There have been strides made to promote inclusivity in education, and the situation has improved for the younger generations.

As for the culture barrier, it is a bit more complex. While Czechs have not had the best PR in recent years regarding Romani and Refugees. They are for the most part accepting of the Vietnamese community. The older generation sort of takes it as a ” they stay in their lane and work hard” mantra. They didn’t really have a problem in the past, but they didn’t seem to go out of their way to include them. Older Czechs that I used to work with would often use the example of the Vietnamese migrants when confronted with other slightly racist and xenophobic ideas. However, when asked “How many Czech- Vietnamese friends you have”, the answer is often no.

The younger generation who grew up going to school with many Czech- Vietnamese classmates seem to have a different approach. They generally are quite interested and fascinated by them. All of my friends have nothing but positive things to say. Many Czechs my age love travelling to Vietnam. Vietnamese restaurants are becoming increasingly popular. It’s almost the second national cuisine in Prague. When I lived in Prague, I probably ate Vietnamese food two or three times a week. Although, I cannot entirely make all these claims as I did not grow up as Czech-Vietnamese. I’m also not sure how the coronavirus has affected Anti-Asian racism in the Czech Republic. It has risen in the US and Western Europe significantly.

Here is a really good article to read on this subject. In fact, it features one of my local Vietnamese take out places on the cover.

So if you are in Prague and want to experience something a little more unusual than the Prague Castle or Charles Bridge, check this place out. The food is amazing. It is interesting to see how an ethnic minority lives in a very ethnically homogenous country. You can get some nice shopping done there as well. Also, if you are a Prague resident, check this place out if you have not.