Hiding tears, putting on a smile.

More than three months after the tragic fire at the Marywilska 44 Shopping Center in Warsaw, Poland, a temporary market has just opened, much to the anticipation of not only the Vietnamese community but also many Polish and other foreign traders.

Attending the opening ceremony on August 31st, Vietnamese Ambassador to Poland Ha Hoang Hai thanked the central and local authorities of Poland for their active support and solidarity with Vietnamese small business owners after the devastating fire on May 12th. He also expressed hope that the management would soon rebuild the shopping center so that the small business owners could feel secure in their businesses and stabilize their lives.

The temporary market comprises 400 shops, offering a wide variety of goods and services, from selling clothes and shoes to providing food, haircuts, clothing repairs, and manicures. Each shop measures 15-60 square meters and has electricity and heating systems for the cold winter days.

The number of shops secured covers nearly 65% of the small traders who suffered losses in the fire. According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Poland, more than 50% of the shops in the temporary market are owned by Vietnamese people.

Chợ tạm bao gồm 400 cửa hàng, với nhiều mặt hàng, dịch vụ đa dạng — The temporary market comprises 400 shops, offering a wide variety of goods and services.

The market operates seven days a week, open from 7 am to 7 pm. Registration and shop handover are simple and easy, with unprecedented rent discounts and promotions. For the first three months, vendors are exempt from all fees, only having to pay a minimal cleaning fee. After three months, each shop pays less than 300 euros per month for a year.

Witnessing the distraught faces and wailing cries of the small business owners at Marywilska 44 Shopping Center as the raging fire consumed years of hard work and capital, I felt helpless in the face of their suffering. Many Vietnamese people tried to rush into the flames to save their belongings, but to no avail.

A whole section of Warsaw was engulfed in thick black smoke. In just 2-3 hours, raging in the early morning of May 12th, the inferno destroyed 1,348 shops, with the largest number belonging to Vietnamese small business owners, totaling hundreds of stores. The workplaces and future livelihoods of thousands of families vanished.

For nearly four months, Vietnamese small business owners have lived in anxiety, but they have been comforted by the love and support of the entire Vietnamese community in Poland. Despite many difficulties, everyone is enthusiastically preparing for their return to the Marywilska 44 temporary market – cherishing everything as if it were their first trip to Poland.

They possess experience, willpower, and unwavering determination, along with the unwavering support of the Vietnamese community. The faces of everyone at the temporary market brightened, their tears hidden deep within their hearts as they persevered and moved forward into the future.

Although the opening of the temporary market was a simple event, many reporters from Polish television and radio stations came to cover the event. Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Malgorzata Konarska, President of the Marywilska 44 Group, affirmed that they would work closely with relevant agencies and local authorities to rebuild the Marywilska 44 Shopping Center as soon as possible to serve the people of Warsaw.

Some photos of the Marywilska 44 temporary market on its opening day.