Continue to "revive" My Son temple complex

These days, Indian experts have begun implementing the project to preserve the E and F towers of My Son with a total value of 4.852 million USD from India's non-refundable aid. These are two tower groups that play a special role in the complex of works of the My Son relic site...

An aerial view of the My Son temple complex. Photo: Tan Thanh.

The old plan has expired.

On March 23, the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board (Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province) announced that relevant units are urgently completing the task of planning for the preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of the My Son Temple Complex, a special national monument.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Director of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, said that establishing a new plan is an extremely urgent task to create a legal basis for My Son to implement investment and promote the value of the heritage site.

“The old plan expired in 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a lack of investment resources, it could not be implemented, so it is only being carried out now. Accordingly, in addition to continuing to research and preserve the value of the My Son temple complex; developing functional zones and tourism infrastructure and services, we will focus strongly on completing infrastructure items serving tourism in the area outside Khe The; attracting investors; and connecting the community to participate,” Mr. Khiet said.

The My Son Relic Site Conservation and Development Planning Project for the period 2008-2020, approved by the Prime Minister on December 30, 2008 (Decision 1915/QD-TTg), encompasses the entire My Son valley, bounded by the surrounding mountain peaks. The total area proposed for planning research is 1,158 hectares, with a total capital of 282 billion VND.

In addition to land use planning, the project also focuses on the conservation and restoration of historical sites, such as: clearing mines and explosives, handling chemical toxins; researching natural conditions and construction materials; archaeological excavation and discovery; restoration, reinforcement, and preservation of historical sites; collecting and displaying artifacts;… with initial results being quite positive.

Tourists visiting the My Son Sanctuary. Photo: Tan Thanh.

However, in the process of implementing the planning contents, many problems arise from new research and discoveries that add to the value of the relic. Not to mention, natural conditions, socio-economic factors and the need for tourism service development have changed a lot.

"Therefore, the formation of a representative national and world heritage space necessitates the establishment of a Conservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Plan for the My Son Temple Complex, a special national monument, until 2030, with a vision to 2050, in accordance with legal regulations," Mr. Khiet emphasized.

During the working session on February 18th, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong noted that the planning task needs to be adjusted to the period up to 2035 to allow time for the implementation of project items once approved. He emphasized the need to finalize the plan as soon as possible in 2025-2026, and to prioritize submitting the plan to the Prime Minister early (in the first quarter of 2025) to ensure timely implementation of the planning project.

Nearly $5 million to restore the ancient tower.

According to the My Son World Heritage Management Board, the "Conservation and Restoration of the My Son Temple Complex World Heritage Site" project, signed between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of India on October 28, 2014, was completed with a total funding of nearly 55 billion VND from the Indian Government, and was implemented from 2017 to 2022.

The project has completed the restoration, reinforcement, and preservation of the K, H, and A tower complexes, including the A1 structure, a 24-meter-high masterpiece of My Son, which has been reinforced, protected against deterioration, and its walls restored to their original appearance; the drainage system has been cleared, addressing the problem of water stagnation inside the tower complexes…

Workers are restoring the F group of towers at the My Son temple complex. Photo: Tan Thanh.

Notably, the restoration process resulted in the collection of 734 artifacts of various kinds, including the discovery of the largest monolithic Linga-Yoni altar in Vietnam, located in tower A10. In 2022, this altar was recognized as a national treasure...

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet stated that, recently, Indian experts have been cleaning and scientifically dissecting the overall area of ​​groups E and F before proceeding with the restoration of group F towers, especially tower F1, in the My Son historical site. Quang Nam province, the cultural sector, and the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board are creating the best conditions for the experts to live and work.

According to the plan, the conservation project for tower groups E and F includes the conservation and restoration of group E; conservation and restoration of group F; and a drainage system and walkways around groups E and F. The total project value is US$4.852 million, funded by a non-refundable grant from the Government of India. The project implementation period extends until 2029. The restoration process will mainly focus on reinforcing and preserving the original elements in a robust manner, ensuring authenticity.

The F tower group consists of three structures: F1, F2, and F3. Besides tower F3, which completely collapsed and disappeared due to bombing during the war and whose location is now only known through diagrams, structures F1 and F2 are also in serious disrepair. Most worrying is tower F1, excavated in 2003, which shows no signs of restoration. Currently, its surface is covered, its walls have many cracks, the bricks are faded and show signs of being backfilled; sections of the walls at high risk of collapse have been propped up with iron bars…

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the My Son Sanctuary as a World Cultural Heritage site based on two criteria: firstly, it is an outstanding example of cultural exchange and the integration of external cultures into the local culture, especially Hindu architectural art; and secondly, it vividly reflects the historical and cultural development of the Cham people in Southeast Asian history. Today, the My Son Sanctuary only has about 30 temples and towers remaining, but none of them are intact.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/tiep-tuc-hoi-sinh-khu-den-thap-my-son-10302205.html