Located in the heart of the resort city of Da Lat in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong, Xuan Huong Lake is the place attracting numerous tourists and couples with its graceful and poetic beauty. Follow Vietnam Net online newspaper guide to this rendezvous of lovers.

Witnessing many ups and downs in the history of Da Lat, Xuan Huong Lake - the heart of Da Lat city - was previously a swamp of lac grass which was used to weave mat and the rice fields of the Lach tribe who lived along the Da Lach stream - now known as Camly spring.

In the process of building the city of Da Lat, in 1919, the stream was blocked by French and Vietnamese engineers to build a dam from Thuy Ta restaurant to the intersection of Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Dinh Tien Hoang, creating a beautiful artificial lake. At that time, the lake had a French name as Grand Lac (Big Lake) but later in 1953 it was renamed as Xuan Huong Lake.

The lake has a circumference of more than 5km, covering the area of up to 38 hectares. Wide sidewalks are built around the lake with willow and apricot cherry blossoms in spring.

All roads around Da Lat lead to Xuan Huong Lake. Around the lake are the road to the old railway station of Da Lat, another to the famous Con Ga (Cock) church or to the Bao Dai Palace and the bustling Da Lat Market.

The city flower gardens with lots of beautiful flowers are also on the road along the lake. This is also the road for cyclists. It takes them over one hour to pedal around the lake.

Xuan Huong Lake is a meeting place of the city of flowers. There are many hotels and cafes with romantic views to the idyllic lake. On sunny days, the lake is a flat mirror reflecting the blue sky, with gentle ripples. On rainy days, the lake water is in red color. In the early morning, Xuan Huong Lake is covered by clouds, creating unreal scenes. At night, it is covered with surreal smoke. From high above, amid the green of trees is gentle Xuan Huong Lake reflecting the clouds and the sky.

Everyone who visits Da Lat drops at the Xuan Huong Lake, which is not only a splendid landscape but also a very poetic place. The lake is a meeting point of the city’s lovers, a romantic place for wedding photographs and the scene witnessing many romantic love affairs. Along with the pine forest, the Love Valley, Xuan Huong Lake brings poets with endless inspiration.-VNA