In his recent speech commemorating "130 years of Da Lat's formation and development (1893-2023), receiving the UNESCO Creative City title," the Chairman of the Da Lat People's Committee, Dang Quang Tu, emphasized: "Da Lat is blessed with a clean, cool climate year-round and beautiful natural landscapes, making it a safe and attractive destination for domestic and international tourists. At 130 years old, Da Lat still possesses a profound cultural and historical depth, with heritage values that will endure through time."
City of Identity
June 21, 1893, became a significant milestone in the formation and development of Da Lat city, when Dr. Alexandre Yersin set foot on the Langbiang plateau and discovered this picturesque land. Da Lat's original function was that of a resort city. Its climate and natural beauty captivated urban planners. From a "highland resort," this land on the Langbiang plateau was envisioned from the very first survey to become the "summer capital" of Indochina.
Da Lat is a melting pot of diverse people. Historically, it has been the long-standing home of the Co Ho Lach ethnic group. In the late 19th century, the French arrived to develop a resort city, and Vietnamese people also migrated to Da Lat. From a resort town during the French colonial period, through a process of historical change, various waves of settlement have come to Da Lat. It can be said that the lifestyle of the people of Da Lat is a blend of cultures from many regions, forming a unique character.
Speaking at the ceremony commemorating "130 years of Da Lat's formation and development," Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai emphasized that after 130 years, Da Lat, from a barren land, has become the administrative- political , economic-cultural, tourism, scientific-technical, educational-training, and high-tech agricultural research and production center of Lam Dong province; and holds an important position in national defense and security for the Central Highlands region.
"With a population of over 230,000 people and 20 ethnic groups living together in unity and harmony; nổi with the 'gentle, elegant, and hospitable' style of the people of Da Lat, Da Lat is a famous tourist city of Vietnam and internationally, a city of flower festivals, and is building a smart city and a heritage city," Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai informed.
Da Lat is a young city compared to many other cities in the country. However, according to Dr. Pham S., Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lam Dong province, the 130-year period, along with the creative accumulation of humankind throughout various periods, has created a city with unique characteristics, known by many impressive names such as: City of Fog, City of a Thousand Flowers, City of a Thousand Pine Trees, City of Love, City of Dreams, City of Architecture, and "City in the Forest, Forest in the City"...
Da Lat is currently a city of three paradises: tourism, love, and agriculture. These characteristics highlight Da Lat's uniqueness, individuality, and rarity compared to other cities in the world.
Recently, Da Lat has acquired additional titles such as a smart city and a city of music. "Da Lat has been recognized twice as an 'ASEAN Clean Tourism City' and is one of the most romantic destinations in Asia. Not only is it an attractive tourist destination, Da Lat is also a 'brand' for high-tech agriculture, 'Da Lat - a miraculous crystallization from fertile land'," said Mr. Dang Quang Tu.
Land of flourishing
The core values that define the Da Lat brand are its unique climate, natural landscape, culture, architectural heritage, and the courteous, gentle, and friendly nature of its mountain town inhabitants... These values create a spiritual uplift for artistic creation and are also resources for the development of tourism in Da Lat, the city of a thousand flowers and a UNESCO Creative City in the field of music.
The cool climate year-round, fresh air, and picturesque scenery are rare resources that Da Lat possesses. These are not "added values" but rather "fundamental values" of this land. Dr. Pham S. argues that: "The nature, culture, and people of Da Lat have made this land a paradise for artistic creation."
He explained that the dreamy, romantic city of Da Lat has captivated people's hearts. Many poets and musicians have come and stayed here, creating many famous works. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently about 300 songs written about Da Lat.
Culture and art are what make up the soul of Da Lat. Along with traditional and modern music venues, Da Lat now boasts a series of professionally organized music and art spaces, such as Pho Ben Doi, May Lang Thang, Lululola, Stop and Go art space, Hey Storm art space… contributing to the creation of artistic streets, featuring renowned domestic and international artists.
"In recent years, many famous musicians and singers have chosen Da Lat to compose and perform; along with the burgeoning music groups, this has created a vibrant musical art movement in the mountain city," shared Nguyen Trung Hien, founder of the Creative Space "Street on the Hill - Da Lat".
In 2023, Da Lat officially joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of music. This will be a contributing factor to the city's future development. Each Da Lat resident will have even more motivation to be creative, making a significant contribution to shaping the city's unique character and adding value to Da Lat, a source of endless creative inspiration for friends and tourists, both domestic and international, in many fields.
"Da Lat joining UNESCO's Creative Cities Network contributes to brand positioning, affirming recognition from domestic and international friends, and promoting the image of Da Lat-Lam Dong as an attractive, safe, civilized, and friendly destination," Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai expressed his expectations.
Da Lat in the future
Decision No. 1727/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the "Lam Dong Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050" clearly states: By 2030, Lam Dong aims to become a "green paradise," attracting leading high-end tourism, eco-tourism, health care, and sports centers in Vietnam and Southeast Asia; developing Da Lat city and its surrounding areas into a high-quality national and international tourism center, a center for education and innovation; and simultaneously, planning sub-region 1 associated with the Langbiang plateau, including Da Lat city (merging Lac Duong district) and Duc Trong, Don Duong, and Lam Ha districts (Nam Ban town and Me Linh, Dong Thanh, Gia Lam, and Nam Ha communes). This is a key region, playing a driving role in the province's development, and serving as a national high-end tourism center of international significance, with Da Lat city as the core of the region.
Da Lat City Party Secretary Dang Tri Dung shared that the achievements are very commendable, but the workload and challenges ahead are also immense. The city aims for rapid and sustainable tourism development, linked to "green growth" based on the rational exploitation of natural resources and protection of the tourism environment.
"Currently, Da Lat is developing a Heritage City project to submit to UNESCO. If recognized, this will be a very good condition for the locality to develop tourism. The city is also promoting the restructuring process according to inter-sectoral planning, expanding Da Lat's urban space to become a modern, world-class urban area with unique characteristics in climate, natural landscape, historical culture and architectural heritage of national, regional and international significance," Da Lat City Party Secretary Dang Tri Dung informed.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/da-lat-dau-an-130-nam-post790525.html
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