A gem from the deep forest

My Son is like an ancient gem buried deep in the forest. Conservation efforts with strong international influence since the beginning of the 20th century have gradually unveiled its mystery, allowing this precious gem to shine even brighter.

Group C, My Son Sanctuary. Photo: My Son Management Board archives.

Conceal yourself in the deep forest.

A group of French soldiers accidentally discovered the ruined temples in the heart of the valley in 1885. Subsequently, experts from the French School of Far Eastern Studies (EFEO) dedicated several periods of research, archaeological excavation, and restoration to the site.

In the early days of arriving in the dense, wild mountain valley, the experts and local people worked in conditions without roads, without electricity, and the most terrifying threat was "Mr. Tiger".

In his memoirs, Henri Parmentier recounts that “I arrived at My Son in 1901, I cast aside all palanquins and sedan chairs and walked for an hour before the beautiful scenery of the trail. On March 10, 1903, I returned to My Son to begin the excavation campaign.”

It took two weeks to set up camp after a period of land clearing. A 4-meter-high fence had to be built around the workhouse, with guards to protect us from the lurking tiger at night. Last night, the tiger took a local worker away.”

The first excavation campaign took place from March 1903 to February 1904. This was followed by restoration efforts in 1927-1928 and 1936-1939.

Architect Mara Landoni and workers are restoring Temple G1. (Photo courtesy of My Son Management Board)

Hundreds of local workers were mobilized for the excavation. The elders in Thu Bon Tay village, Duy Tan commune, still remember clearly: "The years of the Rat, the Ox, and the Tiger / The French worked in all three years."

The years of the Rat, Ox, and Tiger are the three years from 1936, 1937, and 1938 – the consecutive years in which the French Institute of Far Eastern Studies carried out restoration work at My Son.

The early days were difficult and dangerous, but for Henri Parmentier, My Son held a powerful allure. He called Mount Chua "the beautiful mountain," "Belle Montagne," "a magnificent and important landmark, significant enough to represent and summarize a period of Cham art and religious history in itself."

The documents compiled and preserved by the French Institute of Far Eastern Studies constitute a very valuable archive and demonstrate the enormous amount of work undertaken by French scholars at My Son.

Thousands of black-and-white photographs and drawings were created. Surveys and research papers on the architecture and sculpture of the My Son temple complex were published. These documents and images, both domestically and internationally, brought My Son to the world , a place previously unknown.

Post-war salvage

While the EFEO's role was discovery and publication, the Polish and Vietnamese experts were tasked with salvaging the war-torn relics.

Locals are no strangers to the sight of a white-bearded Westerner, whom the people of Quang Nam call Kazik, always engrossed in sketching and drawing within the historical site. Kazik is captivated by My Son, with its temples and towers bathed in tranquil moonlight, or by the sunset over the valley.

The late architect Kazik. Archival photo from My Son Management Board.

Kazik's words about My Son encapsulate the passion and talent of an experienced architect: "The ancient Champa people imbued their spirituality into the rocks and knew how to rely on nature to create a solemn, magnificent, and majestic My Son. This is a priceless museum of architectural art for humanity, and it will be a long time before we fully understand it."

Two years after Kazik passed away while restoring the Hue relics, My Son was included in the World Heritage list in 1999.

Later, although only a small group of temples in Zone G were excavated and restored, Italian, UNESCO, and Vietnamese experts made historical achievements in the restoration of Champa relics.

Compatible materials, modern technological methods and applications, multidisciplinary research, and personnel training represent significant and exemplary first steps in the restoration of Champa relics. Experts approached Group G with comprehensive studies, placing a strong emphasis on materials.

Inheriting techniques, materials, and labor provides a favorable foundation for the Vietnam-India cooperation project. Essentially, the project has inherited restoration techniques and materials from Project G.

Another important legacy is the team of skilled technicians and workers who have received prior training and possess extensive practical experience.

Scientific approaches to conservation, adhering to international standards, have laid an important foundation for the preservation of the brick relics at My Son.

The project has concluded, but it has left behind guidelines and experiences that meet international standards in the conservation of Champa relics. The results of the project have been applied not only at My Son but also at other Champa relics in Central Vietnam.

The project has made My Son a prime example in conservation and training, aiming for more professional and long-term conservation.

The international community pays attention to My Son because of its value as a Hindu center with a long, continuous, and very unique history in Southeast Asia.

The internationalization of the conservation of My Son relics, throughout the early 20th century, has contributed to preserving its original value and bringing the image of My Son to a wider international community.

If My Son is likened to a gem, then it is the conservation efforts that have gradually lifted the veil covering it for nearly five centuries and "polished" this precious gem, making it shine brighter from the wild, deep forests of the My Son valley.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/vien-ngoc-tu-rung-sau-3150249.html