My Son Cham Tower Complex

My Son is a narrow valley, about ⁴ km² in area, surrounded by mountains like a natural, sturdy wall, with a deep stream (Khe The) that served both defensive and mysterious purposes. Located about 60 km southwest of Da Nang and about 15 km west of the former Champa capital Simhapura (present-day Tra Kieu), it was chosen by the ancient Champa dynasties to be the largest religious center of the kingdom. The name My Son is based on the name of a Vietnamese village, now belonging to Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province.

According to surviving inscriptions, the religious site dedicated to Hindu deities began construction here in the 4th century, initially made of wood, but was destroyed by fire and rebuilt with bricks and stones over the centuries. After the Champa kingdom moved its capital to Do Ban (Vijaya), and then to Phan Rang (Panduranga), this sacred site fell into disrepair and was overgrown by forest for many centuries.

In 1898, a Frenchman named Camille Paris discovered the site, which was later studied by Louis de Finot and Launet de Lajonquière. Subsequently, in 1901-1902, excavations and research were organized by H. Parmentier and Carpeaux. The entire site comprises 68 structures of varying sizes, including a unique stone temple, the only one of its kind among Champa relics, which was last restored in 1234.

The 1969 B-52 bombing raid by the US severely damaged and disfigured the historical site. Many towers were destroyed by bombs, including the 24-meter-high Tower A1 – a masterpiece of Cham architecture.

In 1980, as part of the Vietnam-Poland cultural cooperation program, architect Kazimiers Kviatkowski (commonly known as Kazik - 1944-1997) was assigned to oversee the arrangement and reinforcement of the temples and towers. Kazik played a major role in rebuilding the My Son historical site from ruins. Today, only 30 temples and towers remain at the My Son site, but none are intact.

On April 29, 1979, the Ministry of Culture and Information issued Decision No. 54-VHTT, recognizing the temple complex as a national-level architectural and artistic heritage site.

On December 1, 1999, the My Son Sanctuary was officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site based on two criteria: It is an outstanding example of cultural exchange and the integration of external cultures into the local culture, especially in Hindu architectural art; and it vividly reflects the historical and cultural development of Champa in Southeast Asian history. The My Son Sanctuary can be compared to other famous sites in Southeast Asia such as Angkor (Cambodia), Pagan (Myanmar), and Borobudur (Indonesia).

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/channel/5087/202011/khu-den-thap-champa-my-son-2540905/