Bang An Cham Tower is one of the ancient Cham towers remaining in the province, built around the 12th century. It is considered a large brick sculpture in the history of Cham sculpture and a relic of high historical and religious value for the Cham people.
Over time and through the ravages of war, the Bang An Cham Tower now consists of a main worship tower with an octagonal base, approximately 21 meters high. The structure of the Bang An Tower is divided into two parts: the vestibule and the sanctuary. The vestibule is quite long, with the entrance facing east, and two side entrances (renovated into two windows in 1940). The entire vestibule remains relatively intact, although the top has eroded and some decorative details on the edges have been lost.
The shrine section of the Bang An Tower has an octagonal floor plan. From a distance, the Bang An shrine is clearly divided into three parts: the base, the octagonal body, and the pyramidal roof formed by eight faces curving gradually towards the apex. The shape of the shrine resembles a giant Linga nearly 21 meters high, while the floor plan of the entire tower evokes the image of a Yoni.
Outside the tower, there are now two sandstone Gajasimha statues. The bell-shaped ornament of Gajasimha Bang An is similar to those of Gajasimha Chanh Lo and Chien Dan; the nape hair is stylized, the claws are clearly depicted, and the trunk is short and curved upwards.
Bang An Tower is a Cham cultural relic (Dien An ward, Dien Ban town) located on provincial road DT609, about 14km north of Hoi An ancient town and about 30km south of Da Nang city. The Bang An Cham tower relic was classified as a national relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 1989.
Due to its proximity to residential areas in Dien An ward and the lack of protective measures, the current landscape around the tower is quite chaotic, with poor environmental conditions, causing a loss of aesthetic appeal and a near-dilapidated state that diminishes the tower's value.
In response to this situation, in December 2023, the Provincial People's Committee approved the investment plan for the project to preserve, restore, and promote the value of the Bang An Cham Tower relic. At the end of September 2024, the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee also submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requesting the Ministry to appraise the project's feasibility study report.
According to the Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the total investment for this project is over 8.3 billion VND from the provincial budget. The project's goal is to preserve and restore the Bang An Cham Tower in order to restore and stabilize the structure of the monument in the long term; contributing to the preservation and promotion of the monument's value.
The project, once invested in, is expected to prevent the risk of collapse and loss, enhance the long-term sustainability and stability of the culturally and artistically valuable historical site, and contribute to the preservation of this valuable and unique cultural site of the province and the region within the formation and development of Cham culture in the context of Vietnamese culture. At the same time, it also creates strong potential for the development of the local tourism industry.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/thap-bang-an-trong-bong-thoi-gian-3142959.html
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