Green, quiet side of Da Lat

Sun rays breaking through green pine forests, white clouds on the hills and thick fog add their charms to the peaceful landscape of the Central Highlands town Da Lat.

Golden sunshine on an area of Cu Hill and golf course next to Xuan Huong Lake with a view of the French-built College of Pedagogy is seen from a distance.

The cool climate of Da Lat has always been one of the top attractions in tropical Vietnam. It is usually dubbed 'Little Paris' thanks to its rich French heritage, which architects said is being threatened by a tourism and construction boom.

Since July 19, the town of 425,000 closed all tourist attractions and accommodation as a pandemic prevention measure. People from areas under lockdown or social distancing must furnish Covid negative certificates and enter 14-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

A herd of horses graze as the sun casts its rays through green pine trees near Than Tho Lake (Lake of Sighs), a tourist attraction in the middle of thousands of pine trees about six kilometers from downtown Da Lat on Quang Trung - Ho Xuan Huong Street.

A man rows his boat amid hollong trees that rise from the waters on Tuyen Lam Lake in the early morning mist.

Around six kilometers to the south of downtown Da Lat, Tuyen Lam Lake is among the best places to capture stunning misty mornings. Many photos of this landscape have been featured in U.S.-based Natgeo magazine.

People drive a motorbike along National Highway 20 near Da Loc Church in Xuan Tho Commune in the early morning.

Dawn over pine forests and greenhouses in Tuy Son Village of Xuan Tho Commune.

The area around Ankroet Lake in Golden Stream, surrounded by green pine trees and famed for its tranquility.

As one of the most popular freshwater lakes in Da Lat, Golden Stream has a capacity of about 20 million cubic meters of water. Along with providing fresh water to the tourist town, the lake is also used to operate the generators of Ankroet hydropower plant with a capacity of 15 million kilowatts per hour a year.

White clouds float over pine hills in Da Sar Commune of Lac Duong District, about 20 kilometers from Da Lat.

Da Lat was once a summer hideout for French officials during the colonial time who built villas in the hills to escape the heat and humidity of the lowlands.

A house covered in thick fog stands alone amid the hills in Da Nhim Commune of Lac Duong District.

A vegetable garden in Xuan Tho Commune in the early morning.

Once a busy tourist hotspot, Da Lat now wears a forlorn look amid travel restrictions imposed by the worsening pandemic situation. Lam Dong Province also imposed night-time restrictions, banning its residents from leaving home between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. since Wednesday.