Dalat
The City
Dalat, some 300 kilometres northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, is one
of the most un-Vietnamese towns of Vietnam. It is located
some 1,500 metres above sea level in the southern reaches of the
Annamese Mountain Range. It was not built by Vietnamese
or Cham kings, but by the French colonial masters, who
preferred to retreat to Dalat from former Saigon during the hot
season.
The town, which today counts 130,000 inhabitants, was founded
only in 1897. The French colonial administration and French
traders built large European-style villas to create an atmosphere
reminding of France. In the middle of the town, a small lake
(Xuan Huong), and to the North of it a golf course, were laid
out. Many of the villas have survived the Vietnam war undamaged
and give the town a unique appearance. In the area around the
town are several beautiful waterfalls.
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