Visit to My Son Sanctuary in Hoi An

What are vestiges of the Champa Kingdom?

My Son is a collection of Hindu remains or temples of the Champa kingdom, a civilization existing between the 3rd and 17th centuries. The first temples were built in the 4th century during the reign of King Bhadravarman. The others were added 9 centuries later, towards the end of the 13th century by King Jaya Simhavarman. Rediscovered by the French in 1898, this complex was made up of 72 monuments, classified into 13 groups according to their date of construction. Unfortunately, there are currently only 17 temples in existence because the rest were destroyed by American bombing during the war, when the Vietcong used the ruins as a base. This site was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

These temples were the imperial city during the prosperous period of Champa, an important civilization in the political and cultural history of Southeast Asia. This is the place where religious ceremonies took place during the enthronement of the Champa kings

The vanished civilization

Champa was a state of Hindu culture located in modern central Vietnam. They are originally from Malaysia and Indonesia. Their main religion was Hinduism, devoted to three gods: Brahma, Visnu and Shiva. Possessing a beautiful geography, the country was invaded several times by the Dai Viet (modern Vietnam), the Khmers, the Mongols. In 1832, he was well occupied by the Dai Viet. The Chams are becoming one of Vietnam's minority ethnic groups. The Cham are also found in Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos.

For who?

For all those who are passionate about architecture, Vietnamese history and civilizations, the My Son Sanctuary is a highly recommended place. The architecture of the temples is exceptional. All walls are made of several layers of alternately laid brick. The surprise is that there is no doorman, the way to connect the bricks more tightly, but the temples have existed over the centuries. This technique resembles that used to erect Angkor Wat, the most famous temples of the Khmers in Cambodia built 800 years later! This detail reflects the incredible development of ancient Cham construction.

All the monuments have the main door giving a view to the west, or both east-west - place of the deities. Dedicated to Shiva, each group of towers has a kalan (main shrine) – the symbol of Mount Meru, the center of the universe.

How does this activity take place?

This site surrounded by lush jungle and mountain ranges is located 50km from Hoi An, the town often frequented by travelers. Visitors can get there by car, bus, or scooter. You will see the unique majestic ancient ruins of Hinduism in Southeast Asia, consisting of several parts. Several statues of Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna have been found. For those who love culture and music, Champa dance shows, traditional dance at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. are free.