Overview: My Son Sanctuary is located in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, about 69 km from Da Nang city and about 20 km from the ancient citadel of Tra Kieu, a complex consisting of many Cham Pa temples, in a valley. Diameter about 2 km, surrounded by hills. This was once the place of worship of the Champa kingdom as well as the tombs of the Cham kings or princes. My Son Sanctuary is considered one of the main centers of Hindu temples in Southeast Asia and is the only heritage of its kind in Vietnam.

Where is My Son Sanctuary?

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/SE1b5Wszm2rD5XJY6

Latitude: 15°46′N  | Longitude: 108°07′E |  Total area: 1,158 ha

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Since 1999, My Son Sanctuary has been selected by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites at the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee according to C (II) standard as a good example of cultural exchange. chemistry and by standard C (III) as the only evidence of Asian civilization has disappeared.

History of My Son Sanctuary

My Son was probably started construction in the 4th century. For centuries, this sanctuary was added with large and small towers and became the main relic of Champa culture in Vietnam. In addition to the function of performing ceremonies, helping dynasties reach the gods, My Son was also the cultural and religious center of the Champa dynasties and the burial place for powerful kings and monks. The first relics found mark the time of King Bhadravarman I (Pham Ho Dat) (reigned from 381 to 413), the king built a temple to worship linga and Shiva. My Son was strongly influenced by India both in architecture – shown in temples steeped in the splendor of the past, and in culture – embodied in ancient Sanskrit inscriptions on stelae.

Based on the other inscriptions, it is known that this place once had the first temple made of wood in the 4th century. More than 2 centuries later, the temple was destroyed in a major fire. At the beginning of the 7th century, King Sambhuvarman (Pham Phan Chi) (reigned from 577 to 629) used bricks to rebuild the temple that still exists today (perhaps after moving the capital from Khu Lat to Tra Kieu. The kings then continued to repair the old temples and build new temples to worship the gods. Brick is a good material to preserve the memories of a mysterious people and the Champa temples construction technique is still a mystery. It has yet to find an appropriate answer regarding mounting materials, brick burning method and construction.
The towers and tombs date from the 7th to 14th centuries, but the excavation results show that the Cham kings were buried here since 4th century. The total number of architectural buildings is over 70 buildings. tower. My Son Sanctuary may be the religious and cultural center of the Champa empire when its capital was Tra Kieu or Dong Duong.

At My Son Sanctuary there is a sandstone temple, it is also the only stone temple of Cham relics. Epitaph in My Son said that this temple was last restored in stone in 1234. Today, this temple has collapsed (probably because of American bombs during the Vietnam War, because right next to the tower is a deep bomb crater still have traces) but its foundations show that it is over 30 meters high and this is the highest temple of this holy land. The documents collected around this temple show that this is probably the location of the first wooden temple in the 4th century.
With more than 70 sandstone and brick structures, built from the 7th to 13th centuries, My Son became the most important architectural center of the Kingdom of Champa. The main temples in My Son worship a Linga or the image of Siva – the protector of the Champa kings. The god worshiped in My Son is Bhadrésvara, the king who founded the first dynasty of the Amaravati region in the late 4th century combined with the name Siva, becoming the main religious worship of the god – king and royal ancestors.

With burnt clay bricks and sandstone, Cham people have for centuries erected a unique and continuous architectural complex of temples and pagodas: The main temple worships Linga-Yoni, a symbol of creative capacity. Next to the main tower (Kalan) are other towers worshiping many other gods or worshiping the lost kings.
Although the time and war has turned many towers into ruins, the remaining sculptural and architectural artifacts still up to this day still leave the style of Cham art and history, the masterpieces mark a glorious time of Cham culture and architecture as well as Southeast Asia.
My Son Sanctuary has two hills, they are facing each other in the east – west direction at the intersection of a stream, the branches of the stream divide this area into 4 areas. This division is suitable for the geomancy, avoiding the tearing the overall architecture of each tower that was previously published by French archaeologist H. Parmentier in 1904.

Protection and management requirements

Some of the terracotta pieces still have a sharp touch, with its distinctive features, although it has been exposed to the sun for more than 1300 years and remains unharmed, the rest of My Son Sanctuary was devastated and dreary as commented more than a century ago, the history book Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi.

The exterior of the tower, the pillars span about 4 m with leafy interconnected decorations, Makara sandstone sculptures, Apsara dancers, lion, elephant, Garuda bird.

My Son was recognized by UNESCO as a historical relic of mankind in 1999. My Son today is still majestic, but also carries with it many pains of the past, let us respectfully preserve , for the past and also for the future.