My Son Sanctuary – The Place Marks A Golden Age

My Son Sanctuary is located in a valley about 2 km in diameter surrounded by hills. It was recognized by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage in 1999.

Where is My Son Sanctuary?

Situated in Duy Phu Commune, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province, My Son Sanctuary is located 70 km from Da Nang City and about 20 km from Tra Kieu ancient citadel. This is hidden in a valley 2km in diameter surrounded by hills. Visitors of Hoi An Eco Tour can easily travel to this tourist destination by motorbike or taxi. This was once the place of worship of the Champa Kindom as well as the tomb of the Cham king or prince, and royal relatives. My Son is considered one of the main temples of Hindu in Southeast Asia and is the only heritage of this religion in Vietnam.

There is a mountain about 100 – 400m high connecting from East Truong Son through My Son to Tra Kieu citadel. With majestic mountainous terrain, coming to My Son Sanctuary, in addition to visiting the contemplative temples, visitors also enjoy the fresh air and immerse themselves in the green nature here.

The golden history

Based on other inscriptions, it is said that there has been a first temple made of wood in the 4th century. More than two centuries later, the temple was destroyed in a grand fire. At the beginning of the 7th century, King Sambhuvarman (reigned from 577 to 629) used the brick to rebuild the temple that has still maintained today. The kings then continued to repair the old temples and built new temples to worship the gods. Brick is a good material to retain the memory of a mysterious nation and the technique of building Cham towers has been still a mystery so far.

At My Son, there is a temple built of stone, it is also the only stone temple of the Champa. The temple was last restored in 1234. Today, this shrine collapsed (perhaps due to American bombs in the Vietnam War). but its substructure is over 30 m high and this is the highest temple of this sanctuary.

Previously, according to the traditional rituals, each king, after acceding, had to go to My Son to do the holy sacrifices, offer sacrifices and focused on building temples. In addition to the function of the ceremony, My Son is also the burial place of the powerful kings and monks. After the collapse of Champa Kingdom, My Son Sanctuary has sunk into oblivion for centuries. By 1885, this place was discovered by a French psychic. Ten years after that, Camille Paris archaeologist came to learn about this monument. In 1994, the My Son Sanctuary attracted many researchers and archaeologists to explore the mystery here.

The contemplative beauty

What makes tourists who booked tour with Vietnam package Tours most interested in the beauty of the My Son Da Nang is probably architecture. My Son consists of many tower clusters, each cluster has a main temple, surrounded by small towers and auxiliary buildings; in which, the temple symbolizes the center of all things and is the worship of Siva. The front of each tower cluster is a gate, followed by the vestibule where the royal ceremonies and traditional ceremonies were arranged. Going inside the temple complex, you will see a work always turn north called Kosa Grha.

The towers in My Son Holy Land have the shape of a pyramid. According to the ancient Champa people, this is the symbol of Mount Meru, the residence of the Hindu gods. Visiting this place, in addition to admiring many towers with beautiful architecture, visitors also have the opportunity to learn about the gods decorated with many impressive designs.

Coming to My Son, visitors of Tours in Vietnam can easily encounter decorative details such as flowers, elephants, lions, Kala – Makara, musicians, Apsara dancers. This trip to My Son Sanctuary will give visitors a new real-world experience in architecture, religion, and knowledge of precious history.