Located on a romantic pine hill, a significant position of Da Lat, Tran Le Xuan Palace was built almost a half of century ago. This was the destination for relaxation and entertainment of Mr. Chief Advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu and his wife, the First Lady Tran Le Xuan.
Tran Le Xuan family started to build the private mansion complex in 1958 after completing the purchase of 13,000 square meter property.
However, after the coup in 1963, brothers Diem and Nhu were assassinated, Tran Le Xuan and her children went into exile, the private mansion was confiscated and handed over to Da Lat City Hall for management. Many valuable assets in the property were stolen and taken away at that time.
In 1969, the property was transferred to the Ministry of Ethnic Development as the Museum of Central Highlands Ethnology.
In 1975, after the fall of the Republic of Vietnam’s Government, many precious artifacts and exhibits were stolen, the buildings were damaged. Tran Le Xuan Palace became ruined and sunk into oblivion.
After many ups and downs, in 2006, the complex was restored to become headquarter of the National Archives Center No. 4, a subordinate of the State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam. It’s said that the transformation from Tran Le Xuan Palace to an archival institution is a kind of predestination.
