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Rediscovering Old Dalat at Tung Café

Tung Café is one of the few places in Dalat that preserves the atmosphere of the city’s past. While modern cafés and new check in spots attract younger visitors, Tung continues to hold the memories of earlier generations. It is a space where music from the sixties and seventies lingers in the air, where the stories of musicians, poets and lovers remain part of the place, and where visitors can still feel the charm of an old Dalat that has survived through decades of change.

Tung Café appears in nearly every domestic and international guidebook as a must visit destination when exploring Dalat. The café has remained unchanged for more than half a century, surrounded by a rapidly modernising city yet standing as a reminder of a quieter time. The narrow interior, the low wooden tables, the red upholstered sofas, the faded paintings and the old window frames shaped by time all contribute to its nostalgic character.

The café was founded by Tran Dinh Tung, a northerner who settled in Dalat in its early days. He created his own coffee recipe based on French methods, and the flavour has remained consistent throughout the years. What defines Tung even more than its coffee is its music. The café continues to play instrumental pieces and prewar songs by renowned artists such as Khanh Ly, Vu Khanh, Tuan Ngoc, Le Uyen Phuong and other legendary voices. Many composers once visited Tung to gather inspiration, share conversations and create works that later became timeless classics.

Tung Café is closely associated with the memories of musician Trinh Cong Son who used to come here to listen to his own songs. It is also known as the place where he first met the iconic singer Khanh Ly, and as the backdrop for the love story of the musical duo Le Uyen and Phuong. For many visitors, Tung has become a symbol of Dalat’s romantic spirit and its deep connection with Vietnamese music.

On a rainy day in Dalat, the café becomes even more evocative. The gentle mist of the highlands brings a soft melancholy that blends perfectly with the warm aroma of fresh coffee. Sitting by the window, listening to a familiar voice echo from the old speakers, visitors easily fall into memories of past loves and quiet moments once cherished. The rain in Dalat carries a subtle sadness, and Tung becomes a refuge for those who seek to revisit emotions they may have tried to forget.

Outside the glass windows of the café, crowds gather to take photos at the Windmill Wall, a modern symbol of Dalat. Inside, Tung remains calm and reflective. Younger visitors often stop by for a quick drink or while waiting for their turn to take photos across the street. Older guests stay longer because they enjoy the coffee, the music and the memories. For them, Tung holds pieces of their youth and stories that shaped their lives. Even bittersweet memories become a form of happiness when revisited in a place like this.

As the day progresses, the café becomes quieter. The owner slowly rearranges the chairs with the neatness and grace of an older northern household, a habit preserved through generations. This contrast between new and old does not judge how people choose to live or remember their experiences. Every generation has its own symbols and places of emotional significance. Modern cafés, slopes and colourful corners of today’s Dalat will someday become memories for younger visitors, just as Tung is for earlier generations.

What remains unchanged is the way Dalat encourages people to search for the fragments of their past. The city has always been a keeper of emotions, and Tung is one of its most enduring memory banks. Whether one arrives with joy, sadness or nostalgia, Tung accepts it all. After many decades of change, the café still stands quietly, waiting for anyone who wishes to reconnect with their own stories. It remains meaningful simply because it is Tung, a place where old memories find their way back through the gentle rhythm of the city.