Disillusioned with the dream of a hundred billion dong shopping mall
Reflecting to reporters (PV), many residents and traders at Dong Dang Trade Center - Market (Dong Dang town, Cao Loc district, Lang Son province) said that despite a large investment, located on prime land of Dong Dang Border Gate Economic Zone, Lang Son, for nearly 10 years now, this commercial complex has not been operating effectively. According to the reporter's records, Dong Dang Trade Center - Market is located at 2 frontages, on National Highway 1A on the way to Huu Nghi International Border Gate, Tan Thanh Border Gate and next to Dong Dang Station.
This project started construction at the end of September 2014, with Dong Dang Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company as the investor. The highlight is the impressive 3-storey shopping mall with about 800 stalls. Besides, there are also food markets and traditional markets. This project was built with the purpose of moving businesses from Dong Dang traditional market to make way for the construction of Dong Dang town park.
However, after nearly 10 years of operation, contrary to expectations of becoming a bustling shopping mall in the border area, this place is strangely deserted. The shopping mall building is now closed, with only a few households doing business on the first floor, but rarely seeing a customer.
Mr. Bui Minh Duc - Deputy Director of Dong Dang Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company - the investor confirmed that the 3-storey shopping mall building in the Dong Dang Shopping Mall - Market complex has been closed for a long time..
The investor representative said that because the shopping mall is not operating effectively, the small traders are currently mainly doing business in the surrounding corrugated iron houses.
According to the representative of Dong Dang Traditional Market Management Board, in 2016 - 2017, more than 100 business households moved from the old market to the new market, the occupancy rate of the shopping mall was still less than 50%.
"Currently, the investor of Dong Dang Market - Trade Center still has to bear a large debt, shareholders still have to join hands to shoulder the bank debt" - representative of Dong Dang Traditional Market Management Board said.
The old market is bustling, the new market is deserted.
Not far from Dong Dang Market - Trade Center is the traditional Dong Dang market, which is over 120 years old, located in the middle of the border town. Currently, this place is still one of the large border markets in Lang Son, attracting many tourists to visit and shop. The market has an area of over 7,000m2, about 200 stalls, built on 1 floor, convenient for trading.
Sharing with reporters, Ms. Luc Vu Thanh Truc (Dong Dang town, Cao Loc district) said: "From around 2015 to 2017, Lang Son provincial authorities asked traders to move their business locations from here to the newly built Dong Dang shopping center - market, however, most traders objected.
"This is a densely populated residential area, and there is also Dong Dang Mau Temple, where hundreds of thousands of visitors come here every year to worship. The number of visitors also depends on the number of visitors to Mau Temple," said Ms. Truc.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Luu Quang Cong - Vice Chairman of Dong Dang Town People's Committee - said that up to now, there are still two markets in parallel: Dong Dang traditional market and Dong Dang commercial center - Dong Dang market. However, Dong Dang commercial center - Dong Dang market is not operating effectively.
