Four decades of restoration at My Son Sanctuary

Twenty years ago, the My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site.

This complex of historical relics has also received support from international organizations, with hundreds of domestic and foreign experts coming to research and assist in restoration… Many groups of towers from ruins have been restored almost completely.

The My Son Sanctuary in Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province, began restoration in the early 1980s. The Vietnam-Poland cooperation program on monument restoration, with the participation of the Central Center for Conservation and Restoration of Monuments (now the Institute of Conservation of Monuments), made significant contributions to preserving the Cham architectural heritage. Many temples and towers in My Son were restored using methods of repositioning and reinforcing dilapidated components. These initial principles and technical solutions played a crucial role in preserving the Cham architectural heritage, contributing to My Son's recognition as a World Cultural Heritage site.

Between 1997 and 2000, Italian experts surveyed and assessed the geophysical, geological, and hydrological conditions, as well as the conservation status of the site, particularly focusing on research into building bricks, binders, and original construction techniques. Based on these research results, the Italian government, under the auspices of UNESCO, funded the project "Protecting the My Son World Heritage Site – Presentation and Training on the Application of International Standards in Restoration at Group G Towers – My Son Relic Site". Along with archaeological research and excavations over an area of ​​more than 1,800 m2, over 3,000 archaeological artifacts and architectural fragments were cataloged and classified, and the architectural ruins in Group G towers were restored and reinforced for long-term use.

From 2011 to 2015, the Institute of Conservation of Monuments implemented the project to restore and preserve Tower E7, one of the most intact Kosagrha structures with a boat-shaped curved roof. This project was a practical application of research results on construction materials and binders. Archaeologist Le Van Minh stated: “The biggest achievement in My Son over the past 40 years was undoubtedly the first 10 years from 1980 to 1990, a period of significant efforts to salvage the monument. In the remaining time, with better resources, the restoration of My Son has been carried out in a more systematic and solid manner.”

The technical procedures and intervention solutions for the My Son relics have been tested in practice during restoration, using archaeological restoration methods combined with relocation and reinforcement. These methods, implemented systematically and scientifically , have yielded high conservation effectiveness. Mr. Phan Ho, Director of the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board, stated that, fundamentally, the viewpoints and orientations for the conservation and restoration of relics at My Son, applied from previous periods, remain consistent and are being continued.

Although there are differences in the materials used for restoration, the basic restoration solutions applied remain reinforcement, repositioning, preservation, minor repairs, and moderate restoration. “After being recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site, My Son has changed a great deal. First, it is protected and preserved in accordance with the spirit of the International Convention and the Vietnamese Law on Heritage. Second, it has attracted the attention of researchers, scientists, international and domestic organizations in the research, preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of the site; and it has attracted the attention of tourists,” Mr. Phan Ho said.

Looking back at nearly 40 years of research and application of technical solutions to restore the temples and towers at My Son, archaeological experts believe that, fundamentally, those involved in the restoration work have a relatively complete understanding of the techniques and conservation status of the Cham temple and tower relics on the surface. Thanks to this, the dilapidated state of the ruins has been eliminated, the condition of the relics has been improved, and parts of the relics have been restored using appropriate technical solutions, without damaging the relics. On the contrary, this has enhanced the value of the relics, turning them into tourist attractions…

Among the projects supported by governments and international organizations, there are several large-scale projects such as: the construction of the My Son Exhibition and Research Center funded by JICA (Japan), with a total investment of 40 billion VND; the restoration project of the G tower group under the tripartite cooperation program funded by the Italian Government, UNESCO, and Vietnam, with a budget of over 27 billion VND; and the project for the preservation and restoration of the My Son World Heritage Site, supported by the Indian Government, with a budget of 58 billion VND.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province, said: “Restoring and preserving, while sustainably exploiting the values ​​to develop tourism, building plans for tourism development, and attracting investment. We may be aiming to attract investment from businesses, travel agencies, and private investors to cooperate in investing in sustainable tourism development in the buffer zones outside the heritage site.”

With over 70 architectural structures in ruins, the restoration and preservation of the relics at My Son, Quang Nam province, is only the initial step. Much work remains to be done in the future at the My Son World Heritage site, and the restoration and preservation of relics, along with archaeological research, are indispensable steps, running parallel to the restoration of the relics at My Son.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/que-huong-dat-nuoc/201910/bon-thap-ky-trung-tu-di-tich-my-son-367AC29/