The first discovery of a "sacred path" at the My Son heritage site.

"This is the remains of one of the architectural structures never before seen in My Son throughout the history of the site," experts have stated.

The first discovery of the

Architectural remains of the sacred road leading from Tower K to the central area of the My Son Sanctuary have been unearthed.

The archaeological excavation and research on the architectural path east of Tower K leading to the My Son sanctuary (Thu Bon commune, Da Nang city) has been underway since July 2025 and has uncovered valuable additional traces, gradually clarifying the sacred path of the ancient Champa people at the My Son sanctuary .

Archaeological events are very important in modern times.

The My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board (My Son Management Board) recently held a workshop to report on the results of the excavation of the architectural structure of the access road from Tower K to the My Son sanctuary, carried out by the My Son Management Board in coordination with the Institute of Archaeology from July to November 2025, according to Decision No. 2104 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Based on archaeological evidence and expert analysis, it can be confirmed that this is a sacred road leading to the My Son relics. The uniqueness of the road lies not only in the type of architectural relics but also in its location leading to the temple complexes.

These are things that, for various reasons, were previously unknown to French researchers. In addition, the discovery of five door frame locations on the right side of the road's boundary wall raises many interesting issues that require further investigation.

(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Van Doanh)

Initial findings have revealed architectural remains of a sacred road leading from Tower K to the central area of the My Son sanctuary, stretching over 150 meters from the base of Tower K eastward. This is the trace of one of the previously unknown architectural structures in My Son's history.

Associate Professor Ngo Van Doanh, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, stated that based on archaeological evidence and expert analysis, it can be confirmed that this is a sacred road leading to the My Son relics. The uniqueness of the road lies not only in its architectural structure but also in its location leading to the temple complexes. These are details previously unknown to French researchers due to various reasons. Furthermore, the discovery of five doorways on the right side of the road's perimeter wall raises many interesting questions requiring further research.

"Since the French discovered the My Son temple complex in the late 19th century, the discovery of the sacred road leading into the My Son relic site has been a significant archaeological event in modern times," affirmed Associate Professor Dr. Ngo Van Doanh.

As previously reported, the architectural structure of the pathway from Tower K to the central temple complex was first explored and studied by the My Son Management Board and the Institute of Archaeology in June 2023 and first excavated in March 2024, covering an area of 220m2. This current excavation covers an area of 770m2, aiming to further research and clarify the architectural remains of the pathway from Tower K to the My Son sanctuary of the ancient Champa people.

During this excavation, the unearthed relic was a 75-meter-long section of an access road to the east of Tower K, oriented east-west with a 45-degree northward deviation. This result has increased the total area of the road clearly revealed from the base of the tower to over 150 meters. Thus, with 1,010 square meters of explored and excavated area carried out in three phases, archaeological work has now clearly revealed a 150-meter-long section of road extending east from the base of Tower K.

The first discovery of the

Many experts, researchers, and management agencies have conducted field surveys to trace the remains of the sacred road.

Initial decodings

According to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy of the Institute of Archaeology, who led the excavation, the excavation revealed the structure of the road to be a natural dirt and sand road with two brick walls on either side. The entire cross-section of the road is 9m wide, with a carriageway width of 7.9m. The surface is flat and composed of compacted sand, gravel, and broken bricks, with a thickness of 0.15 - 0.2m.

The retaining wall was constructed by stacking bricks in double rows on both sides, with broken bricks and earth filled in between. The foundation was laid with crushed stone and compacted with brick powder. The wall was stacked using a technique where the bottom bricks were wider and gradually narrowed towards the top until two bricks touched (with a top width of approximately 0.46m).

Based on the stone columns, door sills, and door beams, along with the amount of bricks found in the excavation pits, it can be inferred that this wall was built to a height of approximately 1 meter to divide the space between the road and the outside. Further investigation of the remaining traces on the two boundary walls on the north and south sides reveals that the north wall was built continuously and had a higher foundation; the south wall was situated on a lower elevation and had entrances at several fixed locations.

The first discovery of the

A section of architectural remains of a sacred road.

The northern wall was largely pushed from north to south. In many sections, traces of the wall collapsing from the outside inward into the road remain in place. Due to its location at the foot of the mountain, the wall's foundation is quite shallow. The southern wall was built about 20cm deeper than the northern wall. The foundation and the layer of compaction are also thicker. The biggest difference between this section of the wall and the northern wall is that at fixed points, there are steps leading out to the outside of the road. Currently, four locations for these gates have been identified on the southern boundary wall. The locations of these gates are still marked by stone doorposts with square mortise holes for supporting stone pillars and round mortise holes for supporting the pivot of the wooden door.

Another noteworthy feature of the pathway, further clarified by this excavation, is the discovery of four gate or doorway traces on the southern section of the wall, while no similar traces were found on the northern section. Including the traces of a gate or doorway previously discovered by the Indian team in 2017, the total number of gates or doorways on the eastern section of the wall is five. Thus, along the 132m length of the pathway, there are five gates or doorways leading from the pathway to the sacred space outside. It is estimated that approximately every 25-27m along the eastern section of the wall there is a gate or doorway opening from the pathway to the outside.

Besides the widespread presence of bricks and stones used in the architectural construction of the pathway, the excavation uncovered several fragments of earthenware and glazed pottery dating from the 10th to 12th centuries in the stable stratigraphic layer. Particularly noteworthy is that these artifacts were all fragments and were found only on the outer side of the northern boundary wall, identified as being outside the ceremonial space of the site.

The results of the 2025 survey and excavation have added very valuable data, contributing to the determination of the religious function of the ruins as a sacred path, a route leading deities, kings, and Brahman priests into the sacred space of My Son sanctuary around the 11th-12th centuries. This result also opens up a new scientific issue: that My Son maintained its role as the religious nucleus of Champa throughout history; and that the sacred space of My Son expanded or contracted depending on the reigns of the Champa kings.

Preliminary comparative studies also note that the sacred road or ceremonial road related to Hindu rituals recently discovered at the My Son site is unique within the Champa cultural heritage system, distinct from other sites, because it is a road leading into a complex of relics. In other sites, the roads are designed along a straight axis from the outside to the central temple tower.

At the conference, many opinions suggested that the authorities should plan to continue excavation and research to clarify the scale, structure, and appearance of the sacred road, bringing this relic from the depths of My Son to light so that domestic and international tourists, and those interested in Champa cultural heritage in general and My Son in particular, can have a more thorough understanding of the relic.

This is also part of the specific work that contributes to preparing for the restoration and preservation project, aiming to better promote the historical and cultural value of the relics; organizing transportation for tourists along the heritage route left by the Cham people, helping tourists gain a clearer understanding of My Son Sanctuary and Champa culture in history.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Deputy Director of the My Son Management Board, said that in the coming time, the unit and the Institute of Archaeology will continue to develop a cooperation program to research and clarify the scale, structure, and appearance of the entire road within the overall context of the My Son relic site.

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