King Bao Dai’s Palace in Lam Dong

Located on Trieu Viet Vuong Street, Da Lat in Lam Dong Province, Bao Dai’s Palace is a charming structure with a European renovated architectural style that helps beautify this romantic city.

The old palace, also known as Palace III, belonged to King Bao Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) in Vietnam’s feudal regime. It was built from 1933 to 1938 according to a design by a French architect and Vietnamese architect Huynh Tan Phat. The palace has been evaluated as one of the most beautiful architectural works in Da Lat with a hamorny between pine forests and parks, Thuong Uyen (royal garden), Ai An Forest and a small lake.

During his reign, King Bao Dai used the palace as holiday house during the summer. During his holidays in the palace, there were always a regiment of imperial guards, a train of cars called “Cong xa biet dien” and private airplanes to serve him and his family. In 1948, when the French persuaded Bao Dai to serve as “head of state” and then established “Hoang trieu Cuong tho”( Domaine de la Couronne in French) in 1950, Bao Dai’s Palace was renamed “Biet dien Quoc truong” (the palace of the head of state). 

Bao Dai’s Palace is imbued with the European renovated architectural style.

A room of King Bao Dai for receiving guest.

A great pair of elephant’s tusks are hunted by himself.

Lobbies in Bao Dai’s Palace communicate with each other. 

The showroom of images and belongings of King Bao Dai.

Bed room of Princess Phuong Lien and Prince Bao Thang.

Bao Dai’s Palace was designed with 25 rooms with a system of well-disposed flat roofs. After entering the main gate is the great hall with eaves to shade the car park. The ground floor was used for parties and meetings with foreign guests and government officials. The palace also includes working rooms, King Bao Dai’s office, a library, rooms for entertainment and a large dining room. The working room was designed with small architectural miniatures to create a hamonious combination between the living space inside and nature outside through doors and steel framed windows. At present, in the reception room many precious objects of King Bao Dai are displayed, including a painting on Angkor Wat presented by Cambodian King Shihanouk, and three tiger skins and an elephant’s tusk hunted by himself.

The first floor of the palace was used as the private space of the royal family with bedrooms of King Bao Dai and his wife, Queen Nam Phuong, and their three daughters and two sons. Near the bedroom of the king stands a beautiful tower called Vong Nguyet (waiting for the moon). The bedroom of Prince Bao Long who was selected to ascend the throne was painted yellow and all decorations have the same colour.

The garden on the grounds of the palace.

A tourist poses for a photo in royal dress. 

Visitors are interested in a classic car placed outside the palace.

Foreign tourists record images inside the palace.

 
Bao Dai’s Palace attracts a large number of visitors.

Outside, to the right of the main gate and in the back of the palace are small parks with a style often seen in French palaces. Around the palace are small paths shaded by pipe trees.

When visiting the palace, tourists will feel the solemn, close and warm space of the palace where imprints of a historical character, the last king of the feudal regime that existed for over thousands of years in Vietnam, are preserved.

Source:VNP

Primitive Suoi Mo awaits tourist - Lam Dong

Bao Loc City in Lam Dong Province is famous for the magnificent Dambri Waterfall, immense tea and coffee plantations and winding hills which exude the soothing dried tea aroma. However, if you look beyond Dambri you will discover that Bao Loc also has the magical Suoi Mo (Dreamy Stream) which is a great spot for a romantic trip.

About 14 km from the center of Bao Loc City, the stream is located in a small rough alley in Dai Lao Commune. To get to the stream is not difficult. From the center of the city, you can ride heading towards HCMC for eight kilometers to reach old Dai Lao Bridge. Then you go straight for six kilometers and will see a small alley with a fabric signboard ‘Giáo Xứ Suoi Mo’ (Suoi Mo Parish). Nipping into the small alley for about 500 meters, you park at a local house for VND5,000 for a motorbike with the stream on the right.

There is no exaggeration in the spring name as the stream will amaze tourists at first sight with very pure and cool water squeezing through thousands of rocks in diverse sizes and shapes. The stream is totally primitive with dense, wild trees lining its banks. Among the wild trees, travelers will discover many strange fruits, flowers and lianas which maybe they have never seen before. The interesting thing for groups of travelers in the central highlands is stepping on the rocks to go along the stream and appreciate the pristine nature. Amidst the long stream, there are many big rocks for tourists to take a rest, play with bubbles, chat with partners or even eat under the shady groves. After conquering nearly one kilometer of the streams, tourists will reach a waterfall with two layers. The fall is not imposing by its height but the water stream is like a silver carpet exposing itself in the immense greenness of forest all around.

There is a small lake under the fall where tourists can swim, but remember to wear a life-jacket to be safe. Moreover, on the right of the falls is a giant rock where groups can have a seat to relax after a long walk and admire the beauty of the falls.

Unfortunately, there is not any food service in the stream but it is near a main road so travelers should buy some snacks and water at a grocery at the beginning of the alley or at Dai Lao Market near the bridge. Normally people are going past this way to Dalat City but I think it is worth your while to stop by Bao Loc and spend a short time to exploring the stream for a nice fun day at one with nature.