Jacaranda flowers add charm to Vietnam's 'Little Paris'

The trees are grown along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, leading to the center of Da Lat Market, a 5-minute walk from Xuan Huong Lake.

Da Lat is dubbed 'Little Paris', given its colonial standing as a summer hideout for French officials who built villas in the hills to escape the heat and humidity of the lowlands.

In addition to its market and Xuan Huong Lake, the trees are grown at Truc Lam Zen Monastery and Love Valley, adding to Da Lat’s "city of flowers" claim.

Flowers bloom vigorously along the banks of Xuan Huong Lake, considered as a symbol of Da Lat.

A golden ratio of purple blossoms at Xuan Huong Lake.

Jacaranda flowers are native to South America. The first trees were planted in Da Lat by the late engineer Luong Van Sau. He is one of the first Vietnamese agricultural engineers to receive formal training at Versailles Agricultural School in France.

The flowers are 4-5 cm long and grow in clusters. In 1962, Sau brought seeds from France to Da Lat, famous for its year-round cool climate, ensuring successful propagation.

The trees have become a local attraction, especially along Yersin (pictured), Hoang Van Thu, Nguyen Van Cu, Tran Quoc Toan, Tran Phu, Hai Ba Trung and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai streets.

Da Lat is one of Vietnam’s largest flower-growing regions, producing around three billion flowers each year, 10 percent of which are exported to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and mainland China.