Behind the pine-covered hills and terracotta roofs of Thanh Xuan Valley lies a longer story of damaged land, tree planting, and patient renewal.
There is something unexpectedly European about parts of Thanh Xuan Valley. Pale façades, warm terracotta roofs, shaded arches, and pine-wooded slopes can bring an Italian hillside village to mind. Yet beneath that impression is a distinctly Vietnamese landscape, shaped by difficult conditions and generations of people working to improve them.
One account of the region’s transformation traces its beginnings to forest clearance during the French colonial period. Many say that the removal of valuable timber weakened the landscape’s ability to retain soil and water, setting in motion a cycle of erosion, declining fertility, and ecological deterioration. It is said that the profits of the hardwood timbers went to the French and the local communities did not benefit much. It offers a possible explanation for how formerly wooded hills became impoverished land. However, further archival and ecological research is needed to establish the extent of colonial logging around Đại Lải and its contribution to the destructive changes.
What is documented is the difficult condition of the wider Đại Lải landscape. Vĩnh Phúc Museum describes the basin before the reservoir as a barren valley bordered by bare hills. In the rainy season, water rushed down the streams and drained quickly, carrying fertile sediment away. Fields suffered erosion, and the land became increasingly impoverished. For local communities, these were conditions that affected the ground on which their livelihoods depended. [1]
The response involved both water and trees.
Construction of Đại Lải reservoir began in October 1959 and was completed in July 1963. Youth volunteers contributed years of demanding work to a project intended to improve agricultural water supply and address drought and flooding. The lake that now helps give the area its beauty began as a practical investment in the lives of the people living around it. [2]
At the same time, President Hồ Chí Minh was encouraging a wider transformation of the countryside. On 28 November 1959, he published his appeal for Tết trồng cây, connecting tree planting with lasting improvements to the country and people’s lives. That initiative gave national expression to the idea that a greener landscape could be created through sustained, collective effort. [3]
The greening of Đại Lải can be understood within this wider national movement. A specific instruction from Hồ Chí Minh to reforest the land now occupied by Thanh Xuan Valley is rumoured but has not yet been established. His documented role is in instigating the national tree-planting initiative.
Forestry research and practical learning subsequently became part of the local story. A university account traces the Northeast Forest Science Centre’s beginnings to 1976 and describes its work in research, technology transfer, training, and student field practice. The surrounding landscape became a place where people studied how trees could grow and thrive, as well as a place where they planted them. [4]
The trees themselves add an unexpected international connection.
Although the scenery may suggest Europe, forestry research at Đại Lải documents Caribbean pine, a species originating in Central America and the Caribbean. Experimental planting of this pine in Vietnam began in Lâm Đồng in 1963 and later extended to other locations, including Đại Lải. Researchers recorded its adaptability and growth across a range of planting conditions. Regional forestry records also describe several Asian pine species. [5]
The European feeling, therefore, comes from the combination of pine-wooded hills and European-inspired architecture. The development’s architectural ambitions also have a longer history. In 2005, Vietnam Investment Review identified Đoàn Thị Xuân Thanh as director of Thanh Xuan Joint Stock Company and reported her ambition to create a development that respected the natural ecological environment. The plans discussed protecting the existing landscape and exploring traditional local building materials. Working sensitively with the setting was already part of the project’s stated vision. [6]
The current developer describes further planting and care over two decades, with BIM Land continuing the earlier vision in 2020. Its published account compares satellite images from 2002 and 2022 and describes planning intended to retain mature trees and follow the hillsides. These statements explain the developer’s approach. [7]
Today, the Mediterranean character is explicit in the design of Valley Town. Terracotta roofs, arches, shaded outdoor spaces, and landscaped streets draw on a range of international references, including Lake Como in Italy. Together with the wooded slopes, they create the atmosphere that makes the European comparison so inviting. [8]
For people considering a home here, the landscape’s history adds another dimension to the view. Mature trees represent years of growth and care. The nearby reservoir carries the labour of an earlier generation. New buildings become another chapter in a place that has already undergone considerable change.
An Italian hillside may be the first impression. The deeper story is Vietnamese: the effort to improve difficult land, the patience to plant for the future, and the responsibility to care for the landscape that future generations will inherit.
Sources and further reading
- Vĩnh Phúc Museum — Danh thắng Đại Lải. Documents the barren landscape, runoff, erosion, and reasons for building the reservoir. It does not establish colonial logging as their cause.
- Vietnam Association of Former Youth Volunteers — Đại Lải reservoir history. Construction dates, agricultural purpose, and the contribution of youth volunteers.
- Hồ Chí Minh Museum — chronology for 28 November 1959. Records Hồ Chí Minh’s appeal for Tết trồng cây.
- Bắc Giang Agriculture and Forestry University — Northeast Forest Science Centre. Institutional history and research and educational functions.
- Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences — Caribbean pine at Đại Lải. Species origins and planting history. See also regional planting history in a Vietnam National University of Forestry thesis.
- Vietnam Investment Review — 15 August 2005. Early development plans, Đoàn Thị Xuân Thanh’s role as director, and the stated environmental vision.
- Thanh Xuan Valley — development history. The developer’s account of planting, landscape planning, and continuity.
- Thanh Xuan Valley — Valley Town. Mediterranean architecture and named design references.
