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Unique Clay Architecture and Sculpture in Da Lat

For years, Da Lat has been known as a charming city with vast flowers gardens, winding mountain passes, green pine forests and amiable people. This fairy city is now famous for another appealing attraction; a unique clay tunnel, which is called by different names, such as sculptured tunnel, basalt tunnel or clay village.
The 1.2-kilometre long clay tunnel was built in 2010 near Tuyen Lam Lake by Trinh Ba Dung who has a great passion for ancient architectural works of the highlands city. After four years of research, Dung finally found the secret to turn basalt into a new environmentally friendly material with a unique colour. He used this special material to create the tunnel which is as durable as concrete.

This sculpture originated from two ideas, reproducing a primitive Da Lat and also a famous resort and tourism city with its cultural and social identity. Visiting the tunnel, tourists have a chance to learn more about the history of the founding and development of the city.


Daily activities of apes in the ancient time depicted with clay sculpture.


The Con Ga Church is reproduced in clay. Photo: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat/VNP

The Con Ga Church is reproduced in clay. Photo: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat/VNP


A guitar and musical notes made of clay.


A statue of an artist.


The replicas of an old train and station in Da Lat. Photo: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat/VNP


Horse carriage, a characteristic of tourism in Da Lat. 


Palace Hotel.


Doctor Yersin, who discovered Da Lat.


The house made of basalt that holds two Vietnam records.


Old villas inside the clay tunnel are located near the pine forest in Da Lat. Photo: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat/VNP


The unique space of the clay tunnel. Photo: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat/VNP


Cherry blossoms in Da Lat.


Fruit of Da Lat.


The clay tunnel is called by different names, such as sculptured tunnel, basalt tunnel or clay village


Tourists pose for photos with a couple of horses made of clay.


Young girls by Cam Ly stream inside the clay tunnel.

From the entrance of the tunnel decorated with a dragon which symbolises the Vietnamese race, tourists start discovering the beauty of Da Lat through clay replicas of scenic spots like the train station, Bao Dai’s summer palace, the university of Da Lat, the Palace Hotel, Con Ga Church, Linh Son Pagoda, Xuan Huong Lake, Da Lat Market, Lien Khuong Airport, Tuyen Lam Lake and Tinh Yeu (Love) Valley.

Also, along the walkway are clay paradigms of old cars, Vespa scooters, steam locomotives, and household utensils, which trace the development of Da Lat.

The clay sculptural complex set two Vietnamese records for a clay house  with the largest area, 90m2, with its top embossed with the Vietnamese map and the most unique clay house. Le Anh Ngoc, a tourist from Binh Thuan, said: “I have visited Da Lat several times, however, the clay tunnel left me wide eyed with wonder. All the sculptures look striking in the romantic space of Da Lat”
 
By Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat

 

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