Street art reveals wonderful stories of Da Lat

The murals portray typical images of Da Lat City,
like windows decorated with flowers.
(Photo: VNA)

An old street in Da Lat city in the central highlands province of Lam Dong has been given a new artistic coat of over 30 murals, transforming it into an attractive destination in Viet Nam’s “city of flowers”.

Doc Ba Lang Art Street started to welcome its first visitors on December 19 as part of the 8th Da Lat Flower Festival, which is taking place in Da Lat from December 20-24.

The project aims to honour and preserve the city's beauty through murals and street art created by artists from at home and abroad. As a public art project, the street is open to all.

The cost of the project has been funded by various sources as part of the Pho Ben Doi (City on Hills) community art programme, and the murals will be managed by local authorities.

Doc Nha Lang was known as Nguyen Bieu street before 1953, but locals and tourists refer to it by the old name.

According to the organisers, the murals were selected from 250 artworks by young painters domestic and international artists.

The transformation of the old moss-covered walls into lively beautiful artworks has taken tourists and locals by surprise. People used to take Doc Ba Lang as a short cut, but now they take their time to enjoy the outdoor artworks.

“We have been living in this city for years, getting used to the old houses and streets. Now the whole street has been enlivened with the appearance of artworks by young painters, which makes us very happy,” Tran Ngoc Thai Anh said.

The murals portray stories and typical images of Da Lat city, like the day Swiss-French Doctor Alexandre Yersin discovered Da Lat, typical flowers of the Central Highlands, windows decorated with flowers, and young ladies wearing sweaters on their way to school.

“The artists are hoping to inspire more community-oriented activities,” said architect Doan Anh Khoa, a member of the City on Hills art community.

“As Vietnam’s first annual, inter- and multidisciplinary community art programme, City on Hills wants to transform Da Lat into a top cultural destination in Southeast Asia, raising public awareness about urban preservation, environmental protection and sustainable development,” he added.

According to Tran Thi Vu Loan, vice chairwoman of the city's People’s Committee, the launch of the project took place on Doc Lang An as steep street with its old houses preserved many memories of the city, and was suitable to showcase artworks in an outdoor gallery.

Besides the murals, City on Hills will also organise other events including an exhibition of sketches, a conference on heritage preservation and street music to entertain visitors and locals during the Da Lat Flower Festival.
Source: VNA