Đà Lạt — City of Arts
Initiated in 2021 during the nationwide COVID lockdown by Phố Bên Đồi and Behalf, the project responds to the economic hardship Đà Lạt faced due to its heavy reliance on tourism. It presents an opportunity for the city to rethink its tourism model and invite travelers back in a more thoughtful way. The initiative embodies a commitment to preserving and promoting Đà Lạt's tourism sector in a manner that is both sustainable and ethically progressive.
Launched to align with Đà Lạt’s designation as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), the project later received strategic support from the People’s Committee of Đà Lạt City, in collaboration with GIZ and UNESCO and various businesses.
It takes the form of a vibrant, collectible map—guiding visitors to the city's most artistically meaningful destinations while doubling as a keepsake. Thoughtfully curated, the guide celebrates Đà Lạt’s most historically, culturally, and aesthetically significant landmarks.
The design follows a logic-driven, experience-led mapping approach with clean modernist aesthetics. Minimal typography and a structured layout enhance clarity and ease of use. The color system is rational and accessibility-friendly.
The design follows a logic-driven, experience-led mapping approach with clean modernist aesthetics. Minimal typography and a structured layout enhance clarity and ease of use. The color system is rational and accessibility-friendly.
Alongside navigation, the guide includes curated trip suggestions, local stories, and lesser-known facts about Đà Lạt. It also pays tribute to the city’s signature blooms, weaving its iconic flowers into the design as quiet commemorations of seasonality and place.
Freely available to tourists in both Vietnamese and English, the map also serves as an open invitation for sponsors to support its next phase: a digital edition and an expanded vision. This includes extending the map laterally, exploring Đà Lạt as a city of history, architecture, cuisine, and coffee culture; and vertically, by adapting the model for other cities across Vietnam.
Launch Event
The project was officially launched in 2024, at historic Đà Lạt Railway Station, with the attendance of representatives from the Đà Lạt People’s Committee, various governmental departments, and the Head of UNESCO in Vietnam. The gathering marked a significant moment of cross-sector collaboration, highlighting a shared commitment to cultural preservation, creative tourism, and the city’s future as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Showcase at Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design 2024
The project was also featured in the Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design 2024 under the theme RE:GENERATION, held in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Presented as a community-driven participatory installation, it featured a large-scale version of the map where visitors could contribute their own memories of Đà Lạt.
Alongside this, a second section invited attendees to share their visions of what makes a Creative City through simple, playful interactions of sketching, doodling, and writing. Together, the two parts fostered dialogue across communities and urban identities throughout Vietnam.
Should this project speak to you — whether as something to support, to collaborate on, or to bring to your corner of the world — we’re listening.
CREDITS
Creative Director
Giang Nguyen
Designers
Minh Nguyen
Phong Pham
Jinny Dang
Linh Duong
Tam Do
Illustrator
Phong Pham
Project Manager
Lam Nong
Producer
Dung Nguyen
Giang Nguyen
Designers
Minh Nguyen
Phong Pham
Jinny Dang
Linh Duong
Tam Do
Illustrator
Phong Pham
Project Manager
Lam Nong
Producer
Dung Nguyen
Content & Operation
Phố Bên Đồi
Product & Launching Event Photography
Vinh
VFCD 2024 Showcase Photography
Mắt Bét
Phố Bên Đồi
Product & Launching Event Photography
Vinh
VFCD 2024 Showcase Photography
Mắt Bét