The Cham culture flourished in Vietnam for more than one thousand years but today little remains of this ancient civilization. My Son Sanctuary is home to the largest collection of Cham ruins in Vietnam. Centuries of conflict, including bombing of the area during the American-Vietnam War, has caused extensive damage to the site but restorations are underway so that visitors can appreciate this lost civilization.
Brief History of the Cham Civilization
The kingdom of Champa controlled the central and southern regions of Vietnam from the 2nd to the 15th centuries. Primarily a seafaring people, the major Cham settlements were established on the east coast of Vietnam in five separate principalities extending from Danang in central Vietnam to Phan Rang in the south.
Initially tied to Chinese culture and religion, the Cham became Indianised around the 4th century through trade with India. They adopted Hinduism, based their scholarly language on Sanskrit and borrowed from Indian art and architecture. They did, however, have their own spoken language which was developed from early Malayo-Polynesian settlers.
Over the centuries, the Cham defended their territory against Chinese, Khmer and Vietnamese invasions. By the 15th century the Champa Kingdom was diminished to an area in the south around Phan Rang and was eventually annexed completely by Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mang in 1832. The oldest remaining Cham structure is thought to be the 8th century Poshanu Cham Tower Temples in Phan Thiet. Elements of Cham civilization live on in present-day Vietnam through agricultural, fishing, weaving, pottery and woodcarving techniques, and in some areas, such as Mui Ne in the south, the Cham language is still spoken.
My Son was established as the intellectual and religious centre of the Cham people by King Bhadravarman in the 4th century. The UNESCO World Heritage Organization listed My Son Sanctuary in 1999, declaring its Hindu architecture an “exceptional example of cultural interchange” and believing the site reflected the importance of the Cham culture “in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia”.
My Son Architecture
Occupation of My Son continued from the 4th to the 13th century making it the longest period of development of any monument in South-East Asia. Each new Cham king went to My Son for purification ceremonies, to present offerings to gods and to erect new monuments. The variety of architecture and sculpture found at the site is indicative of the many influences on the changing Cham monarchy over time.
There are eight groups of buildings at My Son, each made up of a main sanctuary (kalan) surrounded by towers and associated buildings. Each kalan comprised a foundation or base section, a tower and a roof, either pyramidal or boat-shaped. The buildings are constructed of fired brick with stone pillars and are decorated externally with symbols depicting mostly Hindu mythology. There is some speculation over how the bricks were bonded as there is no evidence of mortar. A popular theory is that a botanical adhesive was used.
The kalan was dedicated to the worship of the Hindu god Shiva, the deity associated with the first king to the site, King Bhadravarman. There were no windows in the main sanctuary and their interiors were plain except for niches in the walls to hold lamps.
There are traces of around 70 structures at My Son but only 25 of those survived repeated pillaging by various invaders over the centuries. During the American-Vietnam War, the Vietcong used My Son as a base. Consequently, it was heavily bombed by the Americans at this time and only 20 structures were spared, many of which were badly damaged. A large part of the site remains closed to visitors due to the risk of unexploded ordnances in the area.
Visiting My Son Sanctuary
My Son is located 40km west of Hoi An and 70km southwest of Danang. Day trips to the site can be organised through many of the hotels in either city. Some tours from Hoi An offer a return trip by boat. Alternatively, a private car and driver can be hired which gives visitors the option of arriving before or after the crowds.
Each of the eight groups of buildings at My Son is named for a letter of the alphabet which assists visitors to navigate their way round the site. To gain a greater understanding for Cham culture and architecture, however, it is recommended that visitors hire a guide at the ticket office. Be sure to take plenty of water and sun protection as it can be very hot at the site.
My Son is not of the same scale as other Indian-influenced civilizations such as those found in Angkor (Cambodia), Ayuthaya (Thailand), Bagan (Myanmar) or Borobudur (Java), but the Vietnamese authorities are endeavouring to restore as much as possible of the remaining structures. Even in its present state, My Son provides visitors with an appreciation for this unique civilization.
Sources
Sally Piper - Sally Piper is a published writer whose fiction and non-fiction has appeared in Australia and the UK.
