Bao Dai’s Palace Number 1 and the Old Franciscan Monastery
Grab a taxi and head to one of King Bao Dai's lesser known residences, Bao Dai 1, known in Vietnamese as Dinh 1, on Tran Quang Dieu St.
Vietnam's last king had three palaces in Dalat. His downtown residence, known as Bao Dai’s Summer Palace, has long been open to visitors. Palace Number 1, built in the late 1920s, opened to the public more recently. We're told it's a privately run museum.
King Bao Dai acquired the property in 1949 from a wealthy French official.
It has a different feel to your average Vietnamese government run historical sight. But it is only slightly more generous in the provision of historical information.
It takes a Disneyesque approach, with models of Bao Dai and his wife, but only the most superficial explanation of the building, and events that occurred here. You get the sense quite a bit happened here too - during and after Bao Dai's time.
President Ngo Dinh Diem also used the building as a Dalat retreat during the late 50s and early 60s.
Photo: Mark Bowyer The recently opened Dinh 1 Palace - one of King Bao Dai's three residences in Dalat.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Abandoned Franciscan Mission, Dalat
From the palace, head down Tran Quang Dieu St, past the old Franciscan Monastery, towards Tran Hung Dao St. The ruined monastery is a fascinating contrast to the palace. Once again though, information is non-existent.
Dalat's colonial era mansions
As you hit Tran Hung Dao St, you'll pass an amazing collection of grand houses that give a sense of what Dalat must have been like in the 40s, 50s and 60s - a playground for the rich and powerful.
The French colonial architecture of Dalat
By Mark Bowyer / Last updated 16 May 2017
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One of the villas at the Ana Mandara Hotel complex. see moresee less
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Another villa at the Ana Mandara Hotel complex. see moresee less
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Guessing this building is from the 50s. It reminds me of the buildings of Cambodia's architectural flourishing from the same period found in Phnom Penh and Kep. see moresee less
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Classic villa Dalat see moresee less
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Colonial mansion Dalat. see moresee less
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A hotel on the hill overlooking Dalat. see moresee less
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Colonial mansion Dalat. see moresee less
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Dalat. see moresee less
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Another more modern - perhaps 1950s structure. see moresee less
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Dalat. see moresee less
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Dalat's 1930s train station once connected the city with the coast. These days a 5 kilometre tourist service operates from here. see moresee less
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The architecture fuses art-deco elements with local minority design elements. see moresee less
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Two of Dalat's grandest buildings - both formally church structures. see moresee less
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The building in the foreground in now owned by the military so there's no access. see moresee less
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Some of the grandest buildings of the French colonial era are located in Dalat - many of them quite unique in design. see moresee less
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The distinctive tower of Dalat's teacher training college. see moresee less
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A number of Dalat's buildings exhibit an architectural style not seen elsewhere in the former French colonies of Indochina. see moresee less
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Teacher training college, Dalat. see moresee less
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Ernest Hebrard, one of the most prolific architects of Indochina, was involved with the design here too - the old Lycee Yersin It was one of the most prestigious schools in the colony. Vietnam's last king, Bao Dai and Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk studied here. see moresee less
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Teacher Training College, formerly Lycee Yersin, Dalat see moresee less
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Teacher Training College, formerly Lycee Yersin, Dalat see moresee less
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Disintegrating villa, Dalat. see moresee less
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Domaine De Marie Convent, Dalat see moresee less
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Domaine De Marie Convent, Dalat see moresee less
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Mr Tam, my xe om - motorcycle taxi in Dalat. see moresee less
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Fading villa, Dalat see moresee less
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Dalat villa. see moresee less
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The Vietnam Airlines office is in a chalet style villa overlooking the lake. see moresee less
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Notre Dame of Lang Biang Convent see moresee less
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Notre Dame of Lang Biang Convent see moresee less
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Government building downtown Dalat. see moresee less
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A favourite - now a guest house run by the government. see moresee less
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Dalat villa. see moresee less
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An old church building. see moresee less
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Dalat festival centre - modernism see moresee less
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Dalat Market interior - modernist lines see moresee less
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Dalat Market see moresee less
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Dalat Market square see moresee less
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Madam Nhu's modernist residence, Dalat see moresee less
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Madam Nhu's modernist residence, Dalat. One of the coolest buildings in Vietnam see moresee less
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Hong Ngoc residence - built for Madam Nhu's parents. see moresee less
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Modernist residence, Dalat see moresee less
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Row of colonial era shophouses, Dalat see moresee less
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Colonial era residence, Dalat see moresee less
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Colonial era residence, Dalat see moresee less
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Abandoned Franciscan Mission, Dalat see moresee less
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Abandoned Franciscan Mission, Dalat see moresee less
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Abandoned Franciscan Mission, Dalat see moresee less
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Modernist wing - Abandoned Franciscan Mission, Dalat see moresee less
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Modernist wing - Abandoned Franciscan Mission, Dalat. It's set to become a new university of architecture. see moresee less
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The owner of this newly renovated colonial era Dalat villa told me the original structure and timber was in excellent condition and didn't require replacement, despite decades of neglect. Cause for hope that other successful Vietnamese may follow her lead. see moresee less
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Bao Dai's Summer Palace, Dalat see moresee less
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Bao Dai's Summer Palace, Dalat see moresee less
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Pasteur Institute Dalat has a fresh coat of paint. see moresee less
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Bao Dai's Palace Number 1 - newly opened. Dalat see moresee less
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The recently opened Dinh 1 Palace - one of King Bao Dai's three residences in Dalat. It's an interesting building that pre-dates Bao Dai. There's no historical information of any substance. see moresee less
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Colonial era structure, Dalat see moresee less
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Dalat Architecture see moresee less
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Dalat's discovering the beauty of concrete... Damned shame. see moresee less
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Grand colonial mansions of Dalat see moresee less
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Grand colonial mansions of Dalat see moresee less
You may want to stop by the Lam Dong Museum. It doesn't see too many visitors and doesn't look to get much love either. It provides a broad history of the area - minus the juicy years of the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Colonial era structure, Dalat
Photo: Mark Bowyer Grand colonial mansions of Dalat
Dalat Train Station and Teacher Training College
Take a right down the trail at 15B Tran Hung Dao St and head towards the train station. Inaugurated in 1938, the line once connected Dalat with the coast. It would have been a magnificent train ride in its day. The building's another unique piece of Dalat architecture fusing ethnic minority and art-deco elements.
From the train station, head towards the tower at the Teacher Training College - formerly the Lycée Yersin - named after the Swiss doctor who founded Dalat.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Dalat's distinctive railway station.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Dalat's distinctive railway station.
Photo: Mark Bowyer The distinctive tower of the Teacher Training College - formerly the Lycee Yersin
Photo: Mark Bowyer Teacher Training College, Dalat
This is another dramatic piece of architecture. The arc shaped main building is like no other we’ve seen in South East Asia. This place is open to visitors after 5pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday.
It counts Bao Dai and Norodom Sihanouk among its former students.
From there, head down to Xuan Huong Lake for sunset.
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