When discovered by doctor Alexandre Yersin in 1893, Da Lat was merely a wild mountain area in the immense Langbiang Highlands, about 1,500m above sea level. The adventurous Swiss French doctor could never imagine that the barely inhabited land he found after a long expedition would one day turn into a charming “little Paris” in Indochina and a heaven for convalescence. In the photo: Decorating flowers on a Da Lat street. (Photo: VNP/VNA)After Yersin’s discovery, Da Lat immediately became an ideal convalescent venue for French soldiers who found this land somewhat similar to their remote homeland. Today, the French vestiges in Da Lat are not only shown in gorgeous villas but also in the presence of temperate vegetables and flowers brought by the French as a way to reduce their homesickness. In the photo: Car decoration contest at the Da Lat Flower Festival. (Photo: VNP/VNA)Given suitable soil and climate conditions, the vegetables and flowers grew as well as the local crops, thus the development of vegetable and flower growing in Da Lat. Flower planting officially became a trade in Da Lat in 1938 when migrants from Hanoi’s traditional flower villages of Ngoc Ha and Nghi Tam settled in Ha Dong. Flower villages were then formed in the highlands city, including famous Ha Dong, Thai Phien and Van Thanh villages today. In the photo: Van Thanh flower village in Da Lat. (Photo: VNP/VNA)Flower growing has not only been a livelihood for locals but also created a new look for Da Lat, which is home to villages, fields, roads and villas with flowers blooming all year round. Da Lat has many flower villages and flower farms that are always open to visitors. (Photo: VNP/VNA)Da Lat is like a "little Paris" with a fresh climate and blooming flowers all year round. (Photo: VNP/VNA)Da Lat now has about 9,000 ha to grow flowers, accounting for 30% of the country's flower growing area.In the photo: A high-tech flower garden in Da Lat. (Photo: VNP/VNA)Flower workers at Dalat Hasfarm’s garden. (Photo: VNP/VNA)Flower packaging line of Dalat Hasfarm (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Da Lat, the capital of flower export
Da Lat, known as the city of flowers, is set to become a fresh flower export hub in Southeast Asia. The central highlands city aims to raise its annual flower export value far beyond the current 50 million US dollars to match its capacity of producing yearly 3.1 billion flower branches.
