The murals have attracted an increasing number of tourists, particularly youngsters, to Dốc Ba Làng Street. — VNA/VNS Photo Đặng Tuấn

ĐÀ LẠT An old street in Đà Lạt City in the central province of Lâm Đồng has been given a new artistic coat of over 30 murals, transforming it into an attractive destination in Việt Nam’s 'city of flowers'.

Dốc Ba Làng Art Street started to welcome its first visitors on December 19 as part of the 8th Đà Lạt Flower Festival, which is taking place in Đà Lạt from December 20-24.

The project aims to honour and preserve the city's beauty through murals and street art created by artists from at home and abroad. As a public art project, the street is open to all.

The cost of the project has been funded by various sources as part of the Phố Bên Đồi (City on Hills) community art programme, and the murals will be managed by local authorities.

Dốc Nhà Làng was known as Nguyễn Biểu Street before 1953, but locals and tourists refer to it by the old name.

According to the organisers, the murals were selected from 250 artworks by young painters domestic and international artists.

The transformation of the old moss-covered walls into lively beautiful artworks has taken tourists and locals by surprise. People used to take Dốc Ba Làng as a short cut, but now they take their time to enjoy the outdoor artworks.

“We have been living in this city for years, getting used to the old houses and streets. Now the whole street has been enlivened with the appearance of artworks by young painters, which makes us very happy,” Trần Ngọc Thái Anh said.

The murals portray stories and typical images of Đà Lạt City, like the day Swiss-French Doctor Alexandre Yersin discovered Đà Lạt, typical flowers of the Central Highlands, windows decorated with flowers, and young ladies wearing sweaters on their way to school.

“The artists are hoping to inspire more community-oriented activities,” said architect Đoàn Anh Khoa, a member of the City on Hills art community.

“As Việt Nam’s first annual, inter- and multidisciplinary community art programme, City on Hills wants to transform Đà Lạt into a top cultural destination in Southeast Asia, raising public awareness about urban preservation, environmental protection and sustainable development,” he added.

The murals portray typical images of Đà Lạt City, like windows decorated with flowers. — VNA/VNS Photo Đặng Tuấn

According to Trần Thị Vũ Loan, vice chairwoman of the city's People’s Committee, the launch of the project took place on Dốc Làng An as steep street with its old houses preserved many memories of the city, and was suitable to showcase artworks in an outdoor gallery.

Besides the murals, City on Hills will also organise other events including an exhibition of sketches, a conference on heritage preservation and street music to entertain visitors and locals during the Đà Lạt Flower Festival. VNS