Turning Cham cultural heritage into a unique tourism product

In its sustainable tourism development strategy, Khanh Hoa province is promoting the preservation and exploitation of Cham cultural heritage values to diversify tourism products and develop local cultural identity into distinctive tourism products of the locality.

Immerse yourself in the Cham cultural atmosphere.

The beauty of the special national relic Po Klong Garai Tower (Do Vinh ward, Khanh Hoa ).

Photo: Nguyen Thanh - VNA

Located on Cu Lao hill, the Po Nagar Cham Towers National Special Monument (North Nha Trang ward) welcomes thousands of visitors daily. This is a typical architectural complex of Cham culture, built from the 8th to 13th centuries, comprising three levels of architecture, most notably the four towers on the highest level, constructed of dark red fired brick and featuring exquisitely carved reliefs. The main tower, approximately 23 meters high, is dedicated to the goddess Po Nagar – Thien Ya Na Thanh Mau, revered by the Cham people and locals as the Mother of the Land.

Through cultural exchange and adaptation, the Po Nagar Cham Towers have become a unique symbol of the fusion between Cham and Vietnamese cultures, and a center of Mother Goddess worship in the South Central region. Visitors come here not only to admire the mystical beauty of the ancient architectural complex but also to immerse themselves in Cham culture with traditional dances and the sounds of Paranung drums and Saranai horns echoing through Nha Trang.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, a tourist from Phu Tho province, said that the visit to Po Nagar Tower brought her many special emotions. “I have heard a lot about Cham culture, but only when I came here to see the ancient brick towers with my own eyes, watch the artisans perform and experience virtual reality technology, did I fully feel the uniqueness and liveliness of the heritage. The architectural space is both sacred and mysterious, combined with traditional sounds, costumes and dances, making me feel like I have returned to a very distant past,” Ms. Hong shared.

In the southern region of Khanh Hoa province, Bau Truc Cham pottery village (Ninh Phuoc commune) currently has 2 cooperatives and 11 production and business establishments with about 300 households involved in the traditional pottery craft. Not only is it a long-standing craft village, Bau Truc is also considered a lively "Cham pottery museum" of the South Central region, becoming an attractive destination for many domestic and foreign tourists.

Mr. Phu Huu Minh Thuan, Director of Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative, shared that, in addition to the support and investment of the state, production households and cooperatives always pay attention to preserving the quintessence of ancient crafts, while promoting creativity to develop new product lines associated with exploiting community tourism. At Bau Truc, visitors can not only admire artisans demonstrating typical pottery shaping techniques, but can also mold pottery, draw patterns or try the firing process themselves, bringing a real experience like a real potter.

* Expectations to create a distinctive highlight

The beauty of Hon Chong scenic spot in Bac Nha Trang ward (Khanh Hoa).

Photo: Nguyen Thanh - VNA

According to Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province Nguyen Van Hoa, the system of cultural heritage, especially Cham temples and towers, is not only the pride of the Cham people and local people, but also a national cultural asset. The province has been synchronously implementing projects to restore, renovate and embellish relics to meet the cultural and religious needs of the people. At the same time, Khanh Hoa has built many attractive cultural tourism programs and organized them at Po Nagar Tower, Po Klong Garai Tower... to attract tourists to visit and study the value of heritage.

The Theatre (North Nha Trang Ward) boasts unique architecture and hosts many special art, cultural, and entertainment programs for tourists visiting Khanh Hoa.

Photo: Nguyen Thanh - VNA

Khanh Hoa Museum and traditional craft villages of the Cham people are also connected in the chain of cultural tourism products. Many craft villages actively restore brocade weaving techniques, pottery making, Cham dance, etc., to create more souvenirs and experience activities for tourists. Many art performances, reenactments of folk rituals, traditional festivals, notably the Kate festival of the Cham people following Brahmanism, are held annually in conjunction with a series of cultural and sports events that are put into tourism exploitation, contributing to creating highlights for the province's cultural tourism products.

Looking ahead to 2030, Khanh Hoa aims to develop cultural and historical tourism products associated with Cham heritage in a sustainable manner, focusing on in-depth preservation combined with experiential tourism. The province will strengthen cooperation with research institutes, universities, and tourism businesses to build unique cultural tourism products and promote the image of Cham culture to the region and internationally. Exploiting the value of Cham cultural heritage in conjunction with tourism development is expected to create a distinctive highlight for Khanh Hoa tourism; at the same time, contributing to preserving and spreading the traditional cultural values of the Cham people in contemporary life.

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