Khuong My Cham Tower - a thousand-year-old heritage site paying the price for half-hearted restoration.

Da Nang - The restoration project of the Khuong My Cham tower has left many flaws that are not easy to rectify due to low funding and a lack of scientific review.

From limited funding and small-scale operations to a lack of extensive consultation with experts throughout the planning and construction process, all these factors combined to cause the project to show signs of mold, salt efflorescence, crumbling bricks, and controversy over blatant tampering shortly after completion.

Restoration in a "cut off the top, leave the bottom" style.

The Khuong My tower complex (Tam Xuan commune, Da Nang ), built around the 10th century, was classified as a national monument in 1989. For over a century, Cham tower relics have been studied sporadically; however, for Khuong My specifically, there has almost never been a large-scale specialized conference to thoroughly analyze the underlying mechanisms: moisture-salinity mechanisms, materials, structure, foundation geology, coastal location, etc.

The Khương Mỹ Cham tower complex has been the subject of much consideration and research over the years, but the debate over restoration methods remains unresolved. Photo: Reporters' Team

Over the past 15 years or so, the site has undergone several minor interventions, along with a major restoration project for the North and Middle towers – yet key decisions have lacked a multidisciplinary review forum before construction began.

One reason cited by the restoration unit itself – the Institute of Construction Science and Technology – is the limited budget. As a result, the documentation omitted the archaeological excavation item; the roof, false doors, and groundwater treatment were not included in the scope, even though these are the root causes of dampness and salt, which cause the brick surface to deteriorate.

Due to insufficient funds for a comprehensive solution, patchwork construction was carried out to prevent collapse, leading to further drilling, patching, and replacement on the tower's structure, which was both costly and damaged the original structure.

The crumbling, dilapidated brick wall at the Khuong My Cham tower is not included in the restoration investment items of the 12.6 billion VND contract. Photo: Reporters' team.

Associate Professor Dr. Le Dinh Phung, an archaeologist, emphasized that most Cham towers are architectural archaeological relics, therefore archaeological work must precede excavation. Until a feasible restoration plan is in place, it is best not to excavate – and it is even more impossible to level the ground without a permit and professional archaeological supervision.

Researcher Tran Ky Phuong observed: "The errors at the Central Tower have sounded the alarm about the restoration process and professional competence related to Cham architecture." He stated frankly: "If the construction unit had consulted with researchers in Cham culture and art, there would not have been the matter of filling in the brick niches inside the tower." This is a crucial detail: the niches in the inner chamber – creating a sense of sacred caves – are an aesthetic hallmark of Cham architecture; filling them in distorts the original element.

The brick wall of the northern tower of the Khuong My Cham tower complex is crumbling, even as the warranty on the multi-million dollar restoration project has expired. Photo: Reporters' Team

Mr. Ho Xuan Tinh - former Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam (old) - added: Cham relics cannot be treated like civil construction projects. The lesson from Khuong My, according to him, is that there must be a consultation and review process so that experts can provide feedback from the initial planning stages to the construction process; it cannot simply be left to the management agency for approval and considered finished.

Historical sites cannot be put up for bidding like private houses.

Over the past ten years, the preservation of Cham architecture has made progress, especially at My Son – where materials, binders, and more systematic maintenance procedures have been tested. In 2022, the Institute of Conservation of Monuments even organized a workshop to gather opinions on the draft Vietnamese National Standard (TCVN) for the preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of Champa temples and towers (requirements for materials, construction techniques, and acceptance). However, to date, the standard has not yet been issued. This gap in standards is one reason why construction sites are easily swayed by the habits of civil construction.

The A group of towers in My Son was restored by Indian experts in 2022 (at the same time as the Khuong My Cham towers), but there is no sign of crumbling bricks or decay. Photo: Reporters' team.

Regarding materials, Dr. Mara Landoni (Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy) noted that new materials used in restoration must be chosen with extreme caution, as each Cham complex has different techniques, ages, and conditions; it is not possible to simply select bricks for convenience and expect compatibility. For Khuong My, bricks purchased from elsewhere (the former Binh Dinh province) require even more on-site testing and verification before being incorporated into the tower's structure.

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Current state of the Khuong My Cham tower complex in Da Nang after a 12.6 billion VND restoration project. Video: Reporter Team

Another problem is that the Construction Law lacks a separate category for historical monuments, resulting in many restoration contracts being categorized under civil works. Consequently, specific professional competency criteria (experience in restoring Cham towers, archaeological teams, materials, and conservation) are not included as decisive conditions. It is time to establish separate regulations for Cham tower restoration projects: from requiring certification for conservation contractors to mandating an independent scientific council and a mechanism for minimum material testing before construction.

The restoration project of the Khuong My Cham tower has shown the cost of a "quick, simple, and cheap" approach. Heritage doesn't need hasty rescues followed by abandonment; it needs a scientific, transparent process and accountability to the very end – researcher Tran Ky Phuong stated.

Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi inspects the current state of the Khuong My Tower historical site (Tam Xuan commune) at the end of September 2025. Photo: Reporters' team.

Da Nang is continuing to implement the project to preserve, restore, and rehabilitate the South Tower in the Khuong My Cham Tower complex, focusing on the tower's body and the eastern entrance, with a total investment of nearly 6 billion VND (primarily for preventing collapse).

Based on on-site inspections and reports on the current state of the Khuong My Cham Tower, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi emphasized that this is a relic with long-standing cultural and historical value, of national and international heritage status; preserving, conserving, and promoting the heritage value of these relic sites is extremely necessary, given the risk of collapse.

Following the restoration of the Middle and North towers, Da Nang has approved a decision to continue the restoration of the South Khuong My tower with a budget of nearly 6 billion VND. The project needs to be conducted under scientific discipline to avoid repeating mistakes. (Photo: Reporting Team)

However, the public and experts are concerned about the possibility of renewed deterioration – similar to what the North and Middle towers experienced after their earlier, more expensive restorations – which has yet to be definitively addressed.

"Only with sufficient funding for a comprehensive solution, a contractor with adequate specialized capabilities, independent review, and a transparent mechanism, will the restored bricks stand firm alongside the old bricks that have withstood thousands of years of rain and sun at Khuong My Tower," warned Mr. Phan Van Cam, former director of the Quang Nam Center for Conservation of Historical Sites and Scenic Spots.

Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa/thap-cham-khuong-my-di-san-nghin-nam-tra-gia-vi-trung-tu-nua-voi-1583194.ldo