Da Lat is too small for big dreams

The city does not have enough space to host millions of outsiders who come wanting to chill out, settle down, and build houses, farms, villas and coffee shops.

The number of hill villas in Da Lat has increased together with the number of tourists coming to the city. Supply and demand.

The number of greenhouses in the area also increases after every harvest season.

Da Lat is now densely packed with concrete and greenhouses, there's no space for rainwater to flow, and flooding has become a frequent occurrence.

Da Lat has been having to accommodate too many dreams, or should I say unlimited greed? The city is bursting at the seams.

And people have been grieving the fall of Da Lat in different ways.

Many are nostalgic about the old Da Lat, which was planned and built by the French, a city in a forest.

Others said Da Lat’s flooding is just a matter of climate change like everywhere else - that flooding is a normal price for development.

The two sides will never be able to come up with a solution for the problem because they are standing on two very different personal grounds: one of past memories, and the other of greed.

I think we can only find solutions for Da Lat when we agree that the city is not just a vacation destination, not just a holiday fling, and we have to do anything we can to improve its conditions.

Let's stop looking at it with nostalgic dreamy eyes and stop looking at it as a golden mine. Let's look at it as a sick person who needs care.