My Son Sanctuary – The authentic relics of Champa Kingdom
My Son Hindu Sanctuary, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999, is a great sample of the ancient Champa civilization located in the southern part of Vietnam. It was an independent state from around the 2nd to the 17th century, at which time it was occupied by Vietnam.
The impressive Hindu-themed ruins feature many beautiful stone sculptures, temples and towers in tropical jungle surroundings.
My Son Hindu Sanctuary is located within a small valley in the Duy Phu Commune, Quang Nam Province, around 40km from Hoi An ancient town and 70km from Danang.
Centuries ago, My Son used to be a spiritual center for worshipers under the reign of the Kingdom of Champa. Now, even though half of the temples have collapsed under the crush of time, the complex still remains quite structured with 25 vestiges, covering an area of 142 ha. This religious monument is divided into five different sections. All of the buildings reflect great cultural influences from India, with walls of stone pillars and fired bricks. Archeologists suggest that kalan – the central tower – posed as an emblem of the high mountain; bhurloka – the decorated stone base – is a symbol of the mankind on Earth; and bhuvakola – the main tower – rises above all.
Like many historic sites around the world, My Son was destroyed by time and wars and after lying neglected for a long time it was rediscovered and renovated by the French in 1898. Sadly the most recent war did great damage to the complex as the Americans bombed this area knowing that the Viet Cong used it as a hiding place, mistakenly thinking that the enemy would not touch a holy site.
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