Bay Imperial Garden - a new tourist attraction in Da Lat that has sparked much controversy.

Since February 17th, many photos of the Thuong Uyen Bay tourist area, located on Khe Sanh Road, Mimosa Pass, Ward 10, Da Lat City, have been widely shared on social media. What's special is that this tourist area is decorated with incredibly eye-catching and vibrant colors.

A large number of opinions suggest that the Bay Imperial Garden has an overly chaotic design, gaudy colors, copied ideas, and lacks the natural beauty, romantic and peaceful landscape characteristic of Da Lat.

Linh Trang, a tourist visiting Da Lat, shared: “I regret that Da Lat's natural landscapes are gradually being replaced by aesthetically unappealing man-made structures. Even if they are built on private land, I hope that those involved in tourism will invest in design to create beautiful destinations that are close to nature.”

But unlike Linh Trang, Thu Hong (from Dak Nong) said she had visited the tourist area and found it beautiful after walking around inside. “Whether it’s beautiful or not depends on each person’s aesthetic sense. People who love colors like me, or middle-aged people like my mother, like to come here. Thanks to areas like this, I have more places to visit when I come to Da Lat,” Hong said.

Amidst the public's mixed reactions, Ms. Vu Thi Ai, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Thuong Uyen Bay tourist area, stated: “This area is surrounded by greenery, so when building, I wanted a striking and magnificent structure. My idea was to create a royal garden reminiscent of ancient emperors' gardens right in the heart of Da Lat. I have read many different opinions and debates about the design of the tourist area, but I didn't dwell on it too much. I think any project will have its praise and criticism. I built this place with all my heart and a desire to develop local tourism.”

Mr. Le Anh Kiet, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Da Lat City, confirmed that the tourist area in question was licensed to operate in accordance with the regulations of the city and Lam Dong province.

The Bay Imperial Garden tourist area covers an area of ​​over 17,000 square meters.²They planted approximately 50,000 bougainvillea plants, two peacock sculptures made from 5,000 flower pots, and nearly 10,000 rose bushes.

This tourist area was originally built in 2018, but due to violations of constructing accommodation on agricultural land, it was fined and ordered to be completely demolished by the authorities. Afterward, she rebuilt it with new ideas, without accommodation, and was granted an operating license at the end of 2021. From February 1st, the destination began welcoming visitors, with an entrance fee of 100,000 VND per adult and 50,000 VND per child.

Despite receiving much criticism on social media, the tourist area still attracts a fairly stable number of visitors. During the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, on peak days, the tourist area welcomed approximately 2,000 visitors per day.

An compilation - Photo: Sam Sam/Amazing Da Lat