Dalat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dalat (pop. 120,000 as of 1999, spelled Đà Lạt in Vietnamese) pronunciation (help·info)is the capital of Lâm Đồng 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.

[edit] Early history

During the 1890s, 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. The elite Vietnamese National Military Academy graduated its first class of future leaders in 1950. There was also an aviator school at Cam Ly airport.

During World War II, Đà Lạt was the Capital of Federation of Indochina (1939 - 1945).

[edit] Environmental features

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.