Da Lat Pedagody College, a unique architecture built in 1927 by the French. (Photo: dichoidalat.com)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Da Lat city "has what it takes" tobecome an urban heritage site of the Central Highlands province of LamDong, experts have said.
Da Lat, known for its favourable weather, is often referred toas a “forest in the city and city in the forest”, “fog city”or "city of flowers”, according to Thanh Nien (YoungPeople) newspaper.
Da Lat has villas and public architectural works that are inspired by bothAsian and European cultures, Le Quang Trung, director of the provincialDepartment of Construction, said.
The style of architecture goes hand in hand with nature, with tourismspots that are different from those found in other cities, he added.
Vice Chairman of the Da Lat People’s Committee Vo Ngoc Trinh said that if itwas not for the pine forest, great weather, distinguished architecture andfriendly locals, Da Lat would not have gained so much love.
Authorities in the locality over the years have focused on developing thecity while also preserving its cultural heritage, he said.
Trung noted that the Law on Cultural Heritage in 2001only defines tangible cultural heritage and intangible culturalheritage, but the concept of urban heritage site has not yet beenclarified.
However, to preserve and promote the heritage value froma modern urban perspective, it is essential to have a specificpolicy when developing a heritage site such as Da Lat.
Three factors should be considered and preserved, including the climate andnatural landscape, existing architectural works, and the culture and people,Trung said.
According to architect Tran Van Viet, the concept of an urban heritage site isnot new, but it is difficult to pursue, considering that Việt Nam hasnot yet had an urban heritage site.
“Maps from Dr Yersin’s (founder of Da Lat) era and urban planningfrom the French colonial period have to be collected in order to compilea thorough proposal about Da Lat before submitting it to the state forrecognition of a cultural heritage fund," Viet said.
It is also important to conduct research and assess the valueof existing architectural works in the area, among other tasks, he added./.
VNA
