My Son Cham Relic Site – World Heritage

The 23rd Conference of the World Heritage Committee held in Marrakesh (Morocco) on December 1, 1999 recognized My Son Cham Monuments as a World Cultural Heritage with criterion (ii): Being an outstanding example of cultural exchange with integration into indigenous culture. External cultural influences, especially Hindu architectural art from the Indian subcontinent, and criterion (iii): Vividly reflecting the development process of Champa cultural history in the cultural history of Southeast Asia.

My Son Cham relic site is located in a narrow valley about 2km in diameter, in My Son village, Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, 70km west-southwest of Da Nang , 20km west of Tra Kieu - the old capital of the ancient Champa kingdom.

The temples and towers at My Son are typical of Champa religious architecture. With a history of continuous construction and development over 9 centuries (from the 4th to the 13th century), the temples and towers here have many rich architectural styles, but in general, the temples and towers have a soaring posture symbolizing the greatness and purity of Mount Meru (India).

Decoration on the wall of tower B5. Photo: UNESCO profile

Most of the temples and auxiliary structures were built of bricks with a sophisticated technique. The decorative motifs on the stone pillars along with the round statues and sandstone reliefs were carved based on Hindu myths… The harmonious combination with the sophisticated carvings on the brick walls outside the towers has created for the My Son temple complex a beautiful and lively beauty with the most typical features of the Champa art styles.

Kala face – G1 tower foot decoration.
Photo: UNESCO submission

As a country influenced by Indian civilization, Shiva is the god worshiped in the Champa kingdom. The temples at My Son were built by the Champa dynasties to worship their own king god. The combination of king and god is shown through the Linga statue. From the early days, Cham artists almost learned the art of decoration and practiced it like the Indians (My Son E1). But then gradually, the indigenous character was shown. Over time, through communication with other civilizations and the selective reception of Champa artists; the temples at My Son have architectural features according to different periods, showing the cultural flows they received. As the main temple complex of the kingdom for nine centuries, the temples at My Son also show the ups and downs of the periods, the changes in the history of the dynasties, and the transformations in cultural life.

Although they are only small and medium sized constructions, the architecture of My Son has distilled the quintessence of artists, the combination of architectural techniques and decorative arts of the ancient Champa people has given the temples a majestic and mysterious look.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/khu-di-tich-cham-my-son-di-san-the-gioi-152.htm