Concerns about the collapse of the B3 tower in My Son.

Although the B3 tower in My Son has been supported by an iron frame since the beginning of 2019, the fear of this architectural structure collapsing remains ever-present if there are no solid conservation and restoration solutions.

Tower B3 at My Son is being reinforced with an iron frame. Photo: VINH LOC

The tower leans more than 3 degrees.

Built in the late 10th century in the My Son A1 style, housing the god Ganesha inside, tower B3 (9.45m high) is one of the few structures that remains relatively intact in the My Son temple complex (Thu Bon commune).

In the early 20th century, French experts from the French School of Far Eastern Studies (EFEO) conducted clearing, surveying, and research on Tower B3, which was then relatively intact. However, due to war, the structure was severely affected, with the southwestern wall and roof damaged by bombs; bomb craters are still visible 5 meters from the tower today.

Since the 1980s, when architect Kazik (Poland) came to study My Son, he discovered that tower B3 was slightly tilted, and its walls showed many wide cracks.

Around the year 2000, the My Son Heritage Management Unit, in coordination with several related units, conducted a detailed survey of Tower B3 and discovered numerous cracks on the tower's body. In particular, one crack measured 6m long, 18cm wide, and 1.2m deep. The entire tower body was tilted and subsided by more than 3 degrees towards the southwest (towards the stream).

Specifically on the east and west walls, cracks extend from the top to the base of the tower; in some places, the cracks split the structure in two, posing a growing risk. In some areas, light can be seen penetrating the walls, and several decorative and architectural elements of the building are at risk of falling.

In 2006, the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, in collaboration with Japanese partners, conducted geological exploration around tower groups B and C to study solutions to save tower B3. Japanese experts discovered that an underground water source from the Khe The stream (western branch) was causing water seepage, weakening the soil and affecting the base of tower B3, especially during the rainy season.

In 2013, the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, in coordination with specialized units, conducted surveys and developed plans for the urgent preservation and support of Tower B3. In 2019, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism allocated 1.5 billion VND from the national target program on culture to reinforce the foundation and support Tower B3.

According to the design, the tower was supported by an iron frame from the top to the ground to hold the structure in place and prevent the walls from falling while awaiting the overall conservation and anti-tilting project.

After more than six years of urgently supporting tower B3, some opinions suggest that this solution mainly provides temporary "peace of mind" due to the fragility of the steel frame compared to the enormous weight of the structure. Furthermore, the presence of a steel frame in the middle of a heritage site is not aesthetically pleasing to the B3 structure and the B, C, and D towers.

Urgent conservation of tower B3.

In December 2024, the My Son World Heritage Management Board inspected the cracks and measured the tilt of tower B3, finding no significant changes.

Cracks inside tower B3. Photo: VINH LOC

Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, Head of the Conservation and Museum Department (My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board), believes that although the tilt is not too dangerous, one should not be complacent, and in the long term, a comprehensive restoration plan for this architectural structure is needed.

“Actually, to prevent the B3 tower from tilting and subsiding, we need to address the foundation, not the upper part of the structure. This only helps to limit the falling of bricks and stones. Therefore, a comprehensive solution is needed, applying modern and synchronized conservation methods such as gravity balancing, reinforcement, and strengthening of the foundation to prevent the tilting and subsidence from occurring again. Preventing the B3 tower from tilting not only requires complex techniques but also a large amount of funding, estimated at tens of billions of VND,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Tho.

In fact, Tower B3 has been tilting and subsiding for decades, and this continues to this day. However, to answer the question of whether the tower will continue to tilt further, no further monitoring and comparison are needed.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Deputy Director in charge of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, in the My Son conservation plan, the unit has identified the restoration of tower B3 as a top priority.

“It is expected that in early 2026, we will coordinate with a consulting unit to research and prepare an investment estimate, and seek permission from the competent authorities to restore and prevent the tilting of Tower B3. Of course, this is not a simple matter, because this is a large architectural structure, involving foundation treatment solutions, so it will be very difficult technically. Therefore, the restoration process will be very cautious, and the entire tower structure must be preserved as a solid block before touching the foundation because the structural connections of Tower B3 are relatively weak,” Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet explained.

The My Son Sanctuary currently has approximately 71 relics and ruins dating from the 7th to the 13th centuries, most of which are no longer intact. Over the past 20 years, with financial and technical support from various sources, both domestic and international, many temple and tower structures in the My Son Sanctuary have been preserved and restored, opening to visitors, such as the D, G, K, H, A… and currently E and F tower groups.

However, the tilting and subsidence of tower B3, a structure considered a miniature version of the masterpiece tower A1, remains a constant concern, posing many potential risks if a comprehensive restoration solution is not implemented to ensure the tower's structural integrity and restore its aesthetic appeal.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/noi-lo-thap-b3-my-son-nghieng-do-3305295.html