Poetic grounds inside residence of Vietnam’s last king

VietNamNet Bridge – Surrounded by poetic pine forest, Palace I, where Vietnam’s last emperor Bao Dai lived, the palace is designed in a European style.

This palace is located on Tran Quang Dieu Street, Ward 10, Da Lat City.

It is 4km from the city center to the southeast. It is located on a 1,550-meter hill full of pine trees. Its total area is about 60ha. It used to be a villa of a French millionaire who was also an official – Robert Clément Bourgery. He had been the boss of an electricity factory in Shanghai. The palace was built before the 1940s in the middle of the pine tree forest.

After that, in 1949, King Bao Dai bought it in August 1949 and renewed it. It became a general headquarters and an office for his subordinate officers.

Until 1956, Ngo Dinh Diem used it as a private palace for President. It was upgraded with tunnel and more working rooms for his subordinate officers. The tunnel was also the emergency exit which opened to a small heliport.

Palace 1 is one of the original architectural products of Da Lat which expresses the neoclassical style of Europe.

The palace was re-opened for tourists last September after a long time of repair.