Xuân Hương Lake
Hồ Xuân Hương (Vietnamese)
Xuân Hương Lake is located in Da Lat
Xuân Hương Lake
Xuân Hương Lake
Xuân Hương Lake is located in Vietnam
Xuân Hương Lake
Xuân Hương Lake
LocationDa Lat, Lâm Đồng province
Coordinates11°56′31″N 108°26′49″E / 11.94194°N 108.44694°E / 11.94194; 108.44694
TypeRecreational reservoir
River sourcesCam Ly River
Basin countriesVietnam
Built1919 (1919)
Surface area32 hectares (0.12 sq mi)[1]
Water volume0.72 million cubic metres (25×10^6 cu ft)[1]
Shore length15.5 kilometres (3.4 mi)[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Xuân Hương Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Xuân Hương) is a recreational reservoir in the center of Da Lat, Lâm Đồng province in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. Created in 1919 by a dam across the Cam Ly River, the lake has been Da Lat's major public space ever since.[2][3]

History

View of the Grand Lac in the 1930s

Originally known as the Grand Lac, the lake was laid out as part of the urban planning process. Two dams were constructed across the Cam Ly River (a tributary of the Da Dâng River) in 1919 and 1923, which flooded what was previously a small valley where the Koho people settled.[4] However, a storm in March 1932 collapsed both dams and it was not until 1935 that a new stony dam was built. The locals called this dam Cầu Ông Đạo (translating to Ong Dao Bridge), with Ong Dao being the name they used to refer to the region's chief, Phạm Khắc Hòe. The current name, Xuân Hương Lake, was given in 1953, following the proposal by Nguyễn Vỹ, the chairman of the city council.[5][6] In 2010, the Ong Dao Dam was rebuilt to replace the flood drainage system and widen the road on the dam to accommodate four lanes of traffic, causing the lake to dry up for a year until the completion of the new dam.[7]

Tourism

The Thuy Ta café in 2011

Located in the heart of the city, Xuân Hương Lake is surrounded by several other tourist attractions of Da Lat, such as the city flower garden, Dalat Palace Hotel, Yersin Park, Da Lat golf course, and Lam Vien Square.[6]

Two cafés, namely Thuy Ta and Thanh Thuy, are opened on opposite sides of the lakeshore.[6] The former, located at the edge of an oval-shaped artificial island just across from the Dalat Palace Hotel, was originally known as La Grenouillère (translates to "frog pond"). It was built by the French and served as a clubhouse for water sports.[8]

Environment

Water in the lake usually becomes polluted during rainy seasons. According to a research in 2014, the rain brings excess nutrients from agricultural lands along the upstream of the Cam Ly River to the lake, causing cyanobacterial blooms and hence fish kills. Additionally, sewage water from the surrounding neighborhoods flows directly into the lake, which worsens the pollution.[1][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Đào, Thanh Sơn; Bùi, Bá Trung; Võ, Thị Mỹ Chi; Bùi, Thị Như Phượng; Đỗ Hồng, Lan Chi; Nguyễn, Thanh Sơn; Bùi, Lê Thanh Khiết (2014). "Suy giảm chất lượng nước và độc tính sinh thái vi khuẩn lam từ hồ Xuân Hương, Đà Lạt" [Degradation of water quality and ecotoxicology of cyanobacteria from Xuan Huong Lake, Dalat]. Vietnam Journal of Sciences and Technology (in Vietnamese). 52 (1): 91–99. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  2. "Xuan Huong Lake". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  3. Robinson, Daniel; Storey, Robert (1995). Vietnam: a travel survival kit (3rd ed.). Lonely Planet. p. 321. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  4. "Xuan Huong lake". Lam Dong Portal. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  5. Trương, Phúc Ân (2000). The secrets of the flower city of Dalat. Ho Chi Minh City Literature and Art Publishers. pp. 214–216. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  6. 1 2 3 Pham, S (23 March 2022). "Xuan Hương lake – Natural masterpiece of Da Lat". Trade and Investment Promotion Center of Lam Dong. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  7. Xuân Trung (28 April 2011). "Khánh thành đập – cầu Ông Đạo sau 3 tháng thông xe kỹ thuật". Báo Lâm Đồng (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  8. Guillaume, Xavier; Guillaume, Marie-Christine (2004). La Terre du Dragon – Tome I. Paris: Publibook. p. 115. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  9. Kocí, Vladimir; Ruml, Tomáš; Phan, Dao; Pham, Anh Duc (2016). "Toxicity of cyanobacterial extract from Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and potential solutions for mitigation the cyanobacterial mass development in Xuan Huong Lake, Da Lat City, Vietnam". Environmental Technology and Innovations: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Environmental Technology and Innovations (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 23-25 November 2016). London: CRC Press. p. 214. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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