SEATTLE — Community members from Seattle’s Chinatown International District are coming together to save two statues that survived a fire at the former site of Viet-Wah Supermarket.
“It's just tragic to see a business that has so much significant history leave the neighborhood in that way," said Quynh Pham. "They've been around since the 80's so they were one of the first grocery stores, Vietnamese and Chinese grocery stores established in Seattle."
Although Viet-Wah closed that location two years ago, community members like Pham wanted to ensure the history and culture survived.
"Here are the Viet-Wah lions, they're safely here and protected and we're so excited to be able to save them," Pham said as she showed off the lions on June 12.
Pham is the executive director of "Friends of Little Saigon" a nonprofit focused on revitalizing the "Little Saigon" area. She was thrilled when she learned these two lion statues, that perched at the entrance for 41 years, remained intact.
"There's a lot of cultural significance for being protectors of spaces and so we felt it was important to protect them so then they can protect the neighborhood," said Pham.
Pham spearheaded efforts with help from nearby businesses, to move the pair Tuesday afternoon, to nearby Lam's Seafood Market for storage. She said the lions will remain there for the time being. With plans to incorporate them into the future Vietnamese cultural and economic center set to open in 2027.
"We all got really excited to save something to be able to save something of history and then potentially put it into something for the future for this community,” said Pham. “It's very heartwarming."
Seattle fire investigators have ruled the cause of the fire was "undetermined."
The owners of Viet-Wah told KING 5 they're happy the lions will have a new home in the neighborhood and that a small piece of Viet-Wah will live on in that cultural and economic center in the coming years.