Going back in time, we will together have insight into the primitive times of Dalat through the records in Yersin’s diary. So, we can admit that the French civilization had an effect on transforming a poor, backward land of primitive life into a beautiful and modern land with incredible architectural works.
“This area has a sparse population with a few villages of the Lat ethnic minority gathered at the foot of the mountain. They cultivate wet rice very well . There is a stream about 3m wide which is upstream of the Dong Nai River system. Cross the stream, follow the small village road then enter the village of Dankia. Dankia is the center of the region where there is not a single Kinh village within 100km. So the scenery of the village looks very rustic, wild, and poor….
The vast Langbiang Plateau is the residence of the Lat and Chill ethnic minority and in order to survive in the primitive lifestyle, the ethnic minority have to destroy forests for cultivation for centuries causing the obvious change of the plateau…”
– The city has a birthday when building from the deserted region according to the Dala urban planning and architectural embellishment
– Is a treasure of unique landscape architecture in appearance and rich in genres
– The only city with the function of resorts
– A construction of Colonialism, a product of French civilization, a product of 20th century Socialism and the history of Dalat urban planning and architectural embellishment associated with the development of modern planning of the world.
From the development program of Governor General of Indochina Paul Doumer in 1900, the first planning project of the Mayor Champoudry which divided Dalat’s subdivision into centers. Then, there was the planning project of Hébrard in 1923, the planning project of Pineau in 1933, Mondet’s planning project in 1940, and the Lagisquet’s one in 1943. After that, careful constructions have skillfully integrated into the available natural scenery creating a diverse urban landscape with cultural heritages in planning and architecture.
That is enough to prove the point: “Dalat still satisfies all the conditions for developing and maintaining an extreme natural attraction because of its specialities that no other city has”. Based on its values of architectural building, history (“Dalat is the capital of Indochina” or “Domaine de la Couronne”) culture and art (urban landscape),… and the beauty of a special French-style villas or mansions must be estimated by including three elements: architectural elements, landscape architecture and historical elements if it was built before 1975.
It’s great that the whole country of Vietnam doesn’t have other special places like Dalat. Hoang Anh understand this point and love the land where I was born and raised. No matter where I go, I always return to this beautiful beloved hometown!
