Story: Truong Quy
Photos: Quang Ngoc

Stretching across the southern Central Highlands and the far tip of Vietnam’s South Central Coast, Lam Dong resembles a vivid scene from a geography textbook: the sweeping Truong Son Range rises behind red basalt plateaus cut by rivers and streams, before tapering down to a narrow coastal plain fringed with white sand beaches and coconut palms.

Ta Dung Lake

Since Dr. Alexandre Yersin first explored the wild beauty of the Lang Biang Plateau in the late 19th century, and later when the French shaped Dalat into a European-style resort town amid pine forests and tranquil lakes, this land has carried an enduring air of nostalgia and elegance.

Shaped by the homesickness and romantic dreams of French colonists, the tranquil and contemplative atmosphere of Lam Dong has long been celebrated in art and poetry. Misty pine hills, immortalized in songs and paintings, rise above highland regions renowned for their agriculture and ethnic minority communities.

Ke Ga Beach

Few places are as richly blessed by both nature and human praise, celebrated in lines like “violet orchids in Dalat, where mist lingers over the town” (Da Lat mong mo – Minh Ky & Da Cam and “wandering through rolling hills, my steps steeped in the fragrance of wildflowers” (Hoang hon mau la – Thanh Tung). From the emerald expanse of Ta Dung Lake to the untouched Phu Quy Island, shaped by the traces of an ancient extinct volcano, this region tells stories of both earth and sea. Crimson Cham towers dot white sandy beaches along the coast, while lighthouses stand tall against the turquoise sea. From La Gi to Phan Ri, and especially Mui Ne – a bustling international tourism hub – Lam Dong holds a coveted oceanfront position, like a vast balcony opening to the first rays of dawn.

Lam Dong is the source of Dalat’s flowers and vegetables, Cau Dat coffee and tea, Bao Loc silk, Dak Nong avocados, and Phan Thiet fish sauce. These signature products reflect a land where traditions and modern life intertwine, forming a vibrant cultural mosaic, like an “old vessel brimming with new wine,” rich with fragrance and flavor. This autumn, let Heritage Guide take you to Lam Dong – a region that will indulge your wanderlust and leave you delightfully “intoxicated” with new journeys of discovery.