My Son Sanctuary is considered one of the main centers of Hindu temples in Southeast Asia and is the only heritage of this genre in Vietnam.
My Son Sanctuary is located in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, about 69 km from Danang city and about 20 km from Tra Kieu ancient citadel. It is composed of many Cham Pa temples in a valley whose diameter is about 2 km, surrounded by hills and mountains. This was once the place of worship of the Cham dynasty as well as the tombs of the Champa kings or royal princes.
My Son was probably started construction in the 4th century. For many centuries, this shrine was added to the large and small towers and became the main relic of Cham culture in Vietnam. In addition to the function of the ceremony, help the dynasty reach the gods. My Son was also the center of culture and beliefs of the Champa dynasties and the burial of monarchs, monks of power. The earliest relics are found dating to the reign of King Bhadravarman I (reigning from 381 to 413). The king built a mosque for worshiping linga and Shiva. My Son is greatly influenced by India in terms of architecture – reflected in towering temples that are engulfed in past splendor and culture – represented in the ancient Sanskrit inscriptions on the stelae. .
It is known that there has been a first wooden temple built in the 4th century. More than two centuries later, the temple was burned down in a major fire. At the beginning of the 7th century, King Sambhuvarman (reigned from 577 to 629) used brick to rebuild the temple that still exists today (perhaps after moving the capital from the Tea Zone Type). The kings then continued to repair the old temples and build new temples to worship the gods. Brick is a good material to retain the memory of a mysterious people and the technique of building Cham towers is still a mystery to date. It is not yet possible to find the appropriate solution for the material to be bonded, the method for firing and building.
The towers and tombs date from the 7th to 14th centuries, but the excavation results show that the Cham emperors were buried here in the 4th century. The total number of buildings is over 70. My Son Sanctuary can be the religious and cultural center of the Cham state when the capital of this country is Tra Kieu or Dong Duong.
My Son is the symbol of Champa and Halong bay is the symbol of islands. Don’t you believe? Let’s prove with our Halong bay tour from Hanoi!
At My Son Sanctuary there is a temple built of stone, it is also the only stone temple of the Cham ruins. The temple in My Son said that the temple was last restored by stone in 1234. Today, the temple has collapsed (perhaps due to US bombs in the Vietnam War, because the tower was a pit right next to the tower. But its foundation suggests it is over 30 meters high and this is the highest shrine of this holy place. The documents collected around this temple indicate that this is most likely the location of the first temple in the fourth century.
With more than 70 brick-and-stone structures built between the 7th and 13th centuries, My Son became the most important architectural center of the Champa Kingdom. The main temples in My Son worship a Linga or the image of Siva – the protector of the Cham king. The god who is worshiped in My Son is Bhadrésvara, the king who founded the first king of the Amaravati region in the late 4th century with the name Siva, became the main religious worship god – king and royal ancestors.
In the centuries, Chams have erected a unique architectural complex of temples and shrines. The main temple worshiping Linga-Yoni is a symbol of creativity. Next to the main tower (Kalan) are the towers worship other gods or worship the lost kings.
Although the time of war has turned many towers into ruins, the sculpture and architecture that remains to this day still leave the style of art Cham through history, the masterpiece marks a time of the Champa culture and architecture of Champa as well as of Southeast Asia.
