Dalat
Dalat (pop. 120,000
as of 1999, spelled
Đà Lạt in
Vietnamese) is the capital of
Lâm Đ"ng Province in
Vietnam. The town is located 1500 m (4,920 ft) above
sea level on the Langbian Plateau in the southern parts of the
Central Highlands (in Vietnamese - Tây Nguyên). According to a myth from the
French colonial era, the name derives from the acronym of the
Latin phrase 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem' ("Giving Pleasure to Some, Freshness to Others), which the French colonial government used in their official emblem of Đà Lạt. In reality the name derives from the language of the local
ethnic group Lạt and its original meaning is "Stream of the Lạt". In Vietnam, Đà Lạt is a popular tourist destination - highly appreciated for its temperate climate, beautiful sights such as waterfalls and lakes and its abundance of flowers and vegetables. Residents have claimed to encountered one or two
ghosts. A few hotels, motels, and homes are abondoned because the owners were frightened by what was haunting them. The lake was also calimed to be haunted by a woman who was waiting for her long dead lover to return from war.
During the
1890s, French explorers in the area (including the noted bacteriologist
Alexandre Yersin, protégé of the renowned French chemist
Louis Pasteur), which was then part of the French territory of
Cochinchina, asked the territorial governor to create a resort center in the highlands. The governor agreed, and, in
1907, the first hotel was built.
The French endowed the city with villas and boulevards, and its
Swiss charms remain today. They also built boarding schools where children from the whole of Indochina were taught by French priests, nuns and
expatriates. There were seminaries of
Jesuit and other orders. Two military
academies were also established.
During
World War II, Đà Lạt was the Capital of Federation of
Indochina (
1939 -
1945).
Đà Lạt is home to the manmade, 5 km²
Xuan Huong Lake. The average temperature is 17°C, and does not exceed 19°C in the hottest season. Early mornings, the city arises to mystic fog over the lake. Its temperate climate is ideal for agricultural production. Đà Lạt is renowned for its
orchids,
roses, vegetables and fruits. There is a nascent wine-making industry.
*
2005 Vietnam Travel Guide - Đà Lạt*
Local tourism bureau site about Đà Lạt's history*
Columbia Encyclopedia article about Đà Lạt*
Dalat International School in Penang*
Dalat Information
