Dalat with old roads, hamlets, street corners…

Dalat meeting place for residents from different region and areas: in 1906, after being selected to build the resort center. Dalat has really become a new and the meeting place of the regional population. Kinh residents at Dalat by that time were mostly poor workers from the North Central region immigrating to Dalat to work as coolies, or servants doing voluntary services to stay up and settle down. Then, during 1937-1938, in order to meet demand for urban and population development, the French and the local government had allowed waves of immigration from the Northern and central regions, for instance, from Ha Dong, Nghe Tinh to settle down in Dalat to produce vegetables, flowers for the city. At the later stage, many residents from Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai also immigrated to Dalat and stayed.

Old hamlest

When they first came, Vietnamese residents tended to gather together and establish their own native community. At this stage, Dalat witnessed the coming in existence of such hamlets as Anh sang, Nghe Tinh, Ha Dong, Thanh Mau…

Anh Sang hamlet is home to residents from Thua Thien Hue. At the beginning, the hamlet consisted of only some five to seven households from Ke Mon, Phuoc Yen: they lived in temporary simple thatched huts beside the bumpy reclaimed gardens for growing vegetables. Later, with diligence, the people leveled the ground, filled up holes and extended their vegetable gardens. By 1952 Anh Sang hamlet was officially set up with vegetable gardens located by the stream side and lines of houses were built as planned.

Nghe Tinh hamlet was set up in 1940 by immigrants from Nghe An, Ha Tinh. Most people are poor laborers and there are some patriots chased by enemy so they immegrated to this retreat with their families. Others were recruited by dignitaries in the government (Mr. Nguyen Khac Hoe to come to Dalat. For the initial period, they went to work in government offices, in the evening they reclaimed land to grow vegetables, then afterwards they shifted to horticulture. The products of Nghe Tinh gardens at that time were mainly artichokes and some temperate vegetables.

Ha Dong hamlet was established in 1938 due to the initiative of a number of government officials in Nguyen dynasty, such as Hoang Trong Phu Ha Dong province chief, Vice President of North Advisory Council, Mr. Tran Van Ly Dalat city chief, Lam Dong General Chief Ninh Binh Lam Dong, Dong Nai Thuong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan), Mr. Le van Dinh- Ha Dong Chief of Agriculture then acting as judge of Dalat court) The first inhabitants of Ha Dong hamlet were skilled farmers in Quang Ba, Nghi Tam, Tay Tuu, Ngoc Ha, Xuan Tao, Van Phuc… all under Ha Dong province, who were coming to Da Lat to grow vegetables and set up Ha Dong hamlet in 1938. Afterwards some inhabitants from Quang Nga came to work and settle down there too.

Thanh Mau hamlet came into being in 1955 with about 400 Christian followers of Duc Tho district Ha Tinh province). The land was sold to the people by the Department of Agriculture to establish the new hamlet and grow food crops such as potatoes, corn and then shifted to vegetables.

By the 50s-60s of the 20th century, Dalat has become crowded with many new villages such as Da Phu, ung Lam, Da Thanh, Trung Bac Nam Thien XuanAn, Sl JEAN, Tan Lac, Da Thien, Co Giang, Hong Lac, Da Loi, Thai Phien, Tay Ho and Lam Son, Chi Lang, Trai Mat…

Old streets

Over times and with the ups and downs of the history, the names of the old streets in Dalat have also changed. Following are old names of streets before 1953 and the current names:

-MARCH Hoa Binh square FOCH Ba Thang Hai: LAMATNE-Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Cau Queo-Phan Dinh Phung: Dong Khanh Nguyen chi Thanh: PTRUS-KY- Nam Ky Khoi Nghia: Minh Mang Truong Cong Dinh Gia Long- Le Dai Hanh: MILICE LeThi Hong Gam: Lo Gach-Hoang Dieu:THOUARD Bui Thi xuan, Khai Dinh-Nguyen Van cu ANNAM- Nguyen an Troi: FRANCE-LyTu Trong: LACLARE HELGOUACH Doan Thi Diem: ABATTOIR-Le Quy Don PASTEUR- Hai Ba Trung VANVOLLEN HovEN Phan Boi Chau: PIERRE PAS QUIER-Ho Tung Mau: ADRAN Ha Huy Tap: HoPLAL Hai Thuong; CUNHAC Ba Trieu DARLES Trieu Viet Vuong: PAUL DOUMER-Tran Hung Dao ALBERT SARRAUT-YERSIN ANKROET-ANKROET, AUGER-ZAGT BABEY Nguyen Du CASSAGUE-Mai Hac De: BASSE DU CAMLY-Pham Ngu Lao YERSIN-Tran Phu: BELLEVUE Lam Son: BOURGERY Tran Quang Dieu: CALMETTE Thi Sach and Ngo Quyen CANIVERY-Le Lai CARRIERES-DaoDuy Tu CHAMBOUDRY- Le Hong Phong MissioNE Nha chung: CHASSAING Tran Binh Trong: CLMENCEAU Ba Dinh, DE LAT TRE DE TASSIGNY- Khoi Nghia Bac Son: DANKIR-Dankia: FERNAND MILLET Da Tuong: ROSES Huynh Thuc Khang: CARE Nguyen Trai; GLAIEULA Nguyen Viet Xuan: GLAFFEUIL- Hung Vuong Ha Van Ky- Ky Con: HENRI MAITRE Yet Kieu; REN ROBIN Quang Trung and Phan Chu Trinh. JARDIHS- La Son Phu Tu; JEAN O’NEILL-Hoang Van Thu LONGARNIS Pham Hong Thai: LOUAT DE BOART Co Giang and Pho Duc Chinh, MOSSARD- Han Thuyen: Nha Lang-Nguyen Bieu: PICE-Van Kiep: PRENN(old) Khe Sanh, ROBELIN Le Thanh Ton: ROBINSON Huyen Tran Cong Chua, ROUNIE Pasteur, PAGUE-To Hien Thanh; Saigon Nais-Yen The SCHERTGUE-Trang Trinh; SURNA Tran Khanh Du Trai Ham Hoang Hoa Tham: SAINT BENOIT Chi Lang PRENN Ba Thang Tu.

Over 120 years of founding and development, from a pristine desolated highland of cool climate, natural and romantic scenery. Dalat has transformed itself into a tourist city, Vietnam’s famous flower festival city that is cherished by tourists when they have an opportunity to visit the city.

By Doan Bich Ngo

 

local people, villages