Da Lat

Da Lat, or Dalat (Vietnamese: Đà Lạt; Vietnamese pronunciation: [ɗâː làːt̚] ), is a former city in Vietnam and the former capital of Lâm Đồng Province. It is the largest city of the Central Highlands region in Vietnam but ceased to exist as a municipal city on 1 July 2025, following the elimination of district-level units in Vietnam. The city is located 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau. Da Lat is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. Da Lat's specific sights are pine woods and twisting roads full of marigold (Vietnamese: hoa dã quỳ) and mimosa blossom in the winter. The city's highland tropical climate stands in contrast to Southern Vietnam's otherwise lowland tropical climate. Mist covering the valleys almost year-round leads to its name "City of Eternal Spring". Residents and tourists have often said that Da Lat has all four seasons in one day: spring in the morning, summer at noon, autumn in the afternoon and winter at night, from the sunset to the sunrise. With its year-round cool weather, Da Lat supplied huge amounts of temperate agriculture products for all over Vietnam, for example: cabbage, cauliflower, artichoke, tea, wine, persimmon, and coffee. Its flower industry produces three characteristic flowers: hydrangea (Vietnamese: cẩm tú cầu), Da Lat rose, and golden everlasting (Vietnamese: hoa bất tử). The confectionery industry offers a wide range of mứt, a kind of fruit preserve that closely resembles varenie, made from strawberry, mulberry, sweet potato, and roselle. Da Lat is also known as an area for scientific research in the fields of biotechnology and nuclear physics. Da Lat is known regionally for avocado ice-cream, bánh tráng nướng, and its large garment market, with a broad selection of cool-weather clothing.