Berlin city and Lichtenberg district authorities have approved naming the tram station located directly in front of the Dong Xuan Commercial Center's main entrance as "Dong Xuan." The Berlin Transport Authority (BVG) confirmed the change on 8/1.

Effective 8/1, the Herzbergstrasse/Industriegebiet tram station was officially renamed Herzbergstrasse/Dong Xuan. This station serves three major tram lines: M8, 18, and 21.

Established more than 20 years ago, the Dong Xuan Commercial Center, often called Dong Xuan Market Berlin, has become a familiar cultural and culinary hub for Vietnamese, German, and other communities visiting the city.

The Herzbergstrasse/Dong Xuan tram station opposite Dong Xuan Market in Berlin, 8/1. Photo: Google Maps

Martin Patzold, a Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician in Lichtenberg, had long championed the renaming of this tram station. In 1/2015, the management of Dong Xuan Market first proposed to Mr. Patzold, then a member of parliament, that the station be renamed "Dong Xuan Center."

Mr. Patzold initiated a petition drive in 2/2015. By 3/2015, representatives of the Vietnamese community presented him with 3,000 signatures at parliament. Subsequently, Mr. Patzold proposed "Dong Xuan Haus" to the Berlin Transport Authority.

German media reported that the Berlin Transport Authority debated the renaming for several months. Public transport regulations in Berlin generally prohibit commercially-oriented names for stations. Some members raised concerns about the significant costs associated with updating maps and signs, arguing that it would also require passengers to re-familiarize themselves, thus advocating for such changes to be made sparingly.

Dong Xuan Market in Lichtenberg district, Berlin. Photo: AFP

Despite these objections, the sustained effort to rename the tram station, fulfilling the aspirations of the Vietnamese community in Germany, ultimately received approval. Dang The Sang, a member of the Vietnamese Association in Germany, described the station's renaming to Dong Xuan as a special, almost unprecedented case. He stated it reflects Berlin officials' profound appreciation for the cultural and community value embodied by the Dong Xuan Commercial Center.

"This is not only significant recognition by local authorities for the Dong Xuan Commercial Center," Mr. Sang commented, "but also clear evidence of the Vietnamese community's standing, integration, and positive contributions to Germany's economic and social fabric."

Duc Trung (According to Tagesspiegel, DW, Bild)