Dalat city, Bringing Joy…Bringing Freshness…

Of the three hypotheses about the name of Dalat, a lot people favor doctor Alexandre yersin’s choice, taking the 5 acronyms “Dat Allis Laetium Alliis Temperriem” in a Latin maxim (as practised by many European cities) and merging them into Dalat, meaning this is really a place of bringing “joy/fun to people, and freshness to other…”

“Dalat, Bringing people joy…”

Dalat offered Yersin both joy and surprise when he set foot on this land at 15h30 on June 21 1893. He had said: “From the pine forest was stunned at the view of a wild desolate plan, as if filed with green waves from the sea. The range of Langbian mountains stood in the horizon of the northwestern highland embellishing the landscape and highlighting the beautiful background”… His description completely convinced Governor General Doumer and he therefore decided t choose this land as a retreat. Not only Governor General Doumer but his cussessors like Klobukowski, Albert Sarraut, Roume, Maurice Long and Decoux and Europeans other had chosen Da Lat as a retreat, for it evoked nostalgia when World War I broke out… They all felt joy from this wonderful land.

In the past 120 years, many people have come to Dalat and among them are hundred thousands of people from every corner of the country and from the world who have decided to stay here to work, study, research, earn their living all have found joy, even love and happiness in this “city of love and remembrance”…

And surely anyone who has once set foot in Dalat has not only found some joy but also great fun for themselves in the wonderful scenery, the fresh air and friendly, charming and hospitable residents some interpretation of the meaning of Dalat is based on the mispronunciation of the two words “Đa Lạc” which in Sino-Vietnamese means many/much (“Đa”), joy fun (“Lac” as such, “Đa Lạc” mean “lots of joy/fun”.

“Dalat, Bringing other people freshness…”

The history of 120-year Dalat shows that: in 1920, Governor-General Maurice Long signed a decree to establish the Lam Vien autonomous area(Lam Ven plateau was separated from Lam Ven province and ranked this autonomous area No 2 where Lam Men Resort department and South Central Tourism department were located… L’Asie nouvelle illustrée has once reserved ssue No 56 in 1937 to praise this ideal sports, R& Rand hunting retreat. The wave of tourists to Dalat rose in world war ll after the government policy to choose Dalat as the “Indochina’s summer capital” and every year government officials came here to work for up to 6 months… In 1945, Munier wrote in Indochine newspaper: “The climate, beautiful scenery and growth potential have made Dalat privileged place a which no other places could compete with Dalat can become a major resort destination in the Far East…Dalat is the land of flowers of pine trees, and of vegetables… suitable for intellectual activities, Dalat is also an ideal hunting area Andafterwards, Dalat has constantly been considered as a resort city in Vietnam and the world…”.

Many people have come to Dalat to enjoy the clean fresh air, for even during summer, when it is sultry in other places, the weather in Dalat is surprisingly cool and more comfortable than ever… Only when people walk down the stairs of the plane that lands at Lien Khuong airport, or when the coach goes up Prenn or Dran pass, or when they hit the altitude of 1,500 m on the road from Nha Trang to Dalat are they filled with this wonderful feeling…

Many people come to Dalat for meetings in a comfortable ambience when in other places hot stifling weather is making people tired… Just yesterday, tourists suffered from stifling, uncomfortable summer heat somewhere… but now they enjoy breathing the cool fresh air and savor fresh salad dressings, stir-fried green spinach or beans nutritious artichoke soup or colorful boiled vegetables… and ending with a dessert of ground avocado or iced strawberries…

Do come to Dalat to feel the fresh and cool of heaven and earth, have more fun and love life more!

By Bui Thanh Long