Why did the french build a resort town in the mountains of Dalat at the turn of the 20th century? 🔔 Subscribe –
Dalat or Da Lat is the capital city of Lam Dong province, Vietnam. Da Lat is the City of Flowers and honeymooners with lovely French villas, fresh air, beautiful flowers and gorgeous lakes. Dalat is a lush green valley of Instagram worthy beauty.
Da Lat sits about 5000 ft above sea level on the Lang Biang Plateau in the southern parts of the Central Highlands
This area has been home to various hill tribe groups for centuries. In the local Lat language, ‘Da Lat’ means ‘River of the Lat Tribe’.
The first European to ‘discover’ Dalat was Dr Alexandre Yersin a Swede with french nationality in 1893. The city was established in 1912 and quickly became fashionable with Europeans.
At one point during the French colonial period, roughly 20% of Dalat’s population was foreign, as evidenced by the the some odd 2500 chateau-style villas scattered around the city.
Alexandre Yersin, protégé of renowned French chemist Louis Pasteur – whos namesake is now recognized by most people in vietnam as a famous a brewery here, pasture street brewing), asked the French governor-general, Paul Doumer, to create a resort centered in the highlands.
The govenor agreed and in 1907, the first hotel began being built
Urban planning for Dalat was carried out by Ernest Hébrard and Many Europeans tecked up to Da Lat to escape the heat of the lower coastal areas as well as to just enjoy the natural beauty of the high lands of Vietnam
The French endowed the city with numerous villas and boulevards, and its colonial charms still remain today.
With its year-round cool weather, Da Lat supplies unique agricultural products for all over Vietnam including cabbage, cauliflower, coffee and wine. Dalat wine specificaly is a mix of mulbery and grapes. It’s cheap and quite lovely.
During the Vietnam War or as it’s known in Vietnam the American war, Dalat was actually spared any destruction. Dalat fell to North Vietnamese forces without a fight on April 3, 1975.
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