Dalat Railway Station – The Most Ancient & the Highest in Vietnam

Travellers to Dalat now can enjoy the unique architecture of Dalat Railway Station and take a ride on the steam locomotive to visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda. The pagoda is located 2 kilometres northeast of the Dalat City. This station is one of the most memorable stations and famous architectural landmarks of Dalat. It was built in 1932 and completed in 1936 by a French Designer, Reveron and Moncet.

This station is located at 1500 meters above sea level and the highest in Vietnam. Besides Hao Phong Railway Station, Dalat Railway Station is one one the ancient stations in Vietnam.

The Historical Architectural

Ticket Counter at Dalat Railways Station

The development of this station was started after suggestions from the French Authorities to have a station and also to have another summer attraction in the highlands. Besides accepting the opinion of  the French government, the designers also injected some tourist attraction touchs to this special project. The three roofs of the station are to symbolize the LangBiang Mountain and the clock at the centre portrays Dr.Alexandre Yersin who was residing on the Lam Vien Plateau.

There are more Yersin’s memories and tribute when you go inside to the station. The rear of the station is to symbolize about the adventurous Yersin and the large spacious angular ceiling with straight lines inside the station show the honestly and majestic yet very humble life of Yersin. Besides the high ceiling, there are many colourful windows in the station which serves  to light up the station during day time. The colourful windows can be seen directly from the ticketing counter, the living area and also delivery room. The colourful windows also ensure each room in the station never looks gloomy when there is a power cut.

The Lobby area of 
Dalat Railway Station

If you look carefully at the support pillars around the station, you can see clusters of red flowers at the foot of the arch. The red flowers were originally imported from France.

The station was closed in 1970 because the war had damaged the route from Dalat to Thap Cham. Yet on September 1991, Railways Union Region III had work together with Lamdong Tourism to restore the route from Dalat to Trai Mat for tourism purposes.

Now in the Station

There are two locomotives in operation; one from Japan, made in 1941 and another one was from the Soviet Union and was manufactured on 1968. Everyday from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Tourists can take a train trip to visit famous Linh Phuc Pagoda and the train will depart at every half hour. 

Besides, Dalat Railway Station is a popular spot for wedding and creative photo shooting.

Hopefully in the future, respective organizations will work on the budget to fully restore the route from Dalat to Thap Cham again and it will be a very interesting journey from Dalat to the coastal side.

The Colour Glass Window, Dalat Train Station

Photos by: MRDANIAL

This article was published in The Vietnam Guide on September 30, 2012