Nestled in a lush pine forest, the 1.2 km long clay arts installation is a true architectural masterpiece that will delight curious tourists. The clay tunnel is the newest tourist attraction in Da Lat city, Lam Dong province.
Clay architectural masterpieces that retrace the history of Da Lat are prominent in the green pine forest by Tuyen Lam lake. Along the clay road show are several architectural sculptural masterpieces created by sculptor Trinh Ba Dung, who has a great passion for the ancient architecture of Da Lat. It took Dung four years to find suitable materials to build this amazing work which consists of basalt and dark red earth from the Central Highlands.
Dung said "I have visited several countries and found that they have different ways to promote tourism. In the Netherlands, they made tulips the floral emblem of the country and a tourist attraction. Back in Vietnam, I looked for a material to build a mural in honor of Da Lat. I realized that many buildings in Da Lat were built of red soil of basalt, a typical material of the region. This was a revelation and I immediately decided to create basalt-based works”.
Mr. Dung has displaced some 50,000 cubic meters of red earth to create an amazing fresco 1.2 km in length, 2 - 10 meters wide, and 1 - 9 meters deep. Along both sides of the tunnels are various sculptural masterpieces. Browsing along this architectural path, you will come across houses on stilts of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands, the Da Lat railway station, the Pasteur Institute, St. Nicolas Cathedral - better known as "Church of the Rooster" - , and the famous Valley of Love .
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You will be impressed by the representation of a house made entirely of clay with an area of 90m2. This house is the biggest basalt house in Vietnam. Its roof has a clay map of Vietnam.
Trinh Ba Dung said "This is a cluster of clay sculptural works. The clay house is part of the road show. I’m very proud of it because on its roof, I created a map of Vietnam with Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos. Tourists, young and old alike and even war veterans look very proud when they pose in front of the house”.
Doan Thi Loc, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh city, is very impressed by the work and the owner's passion. She said “I have visited Da Lat several times but this is the first time I’ve visited this house. I’m very surprised at its originality. Clay is a very special material. The sculptural works are incredibly detailed”.
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 city is now famous for yet another appealing attraction –this unique clay arts installation. Come and discover it for yourself!
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