Located nearly 70 km from Da Nang city, in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, My Son Sanctuary appears with an architectural complex consisting of many extremely unique Champa temples. Forgotten for centuries, it wasn't discovered until 1885 and in 1999 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the only testament to Asian civilization that has disappeared. If you are a tourist who loves to explore and learn about the ancient culture, this is a place worth exploring.
My Son Sanctuary dates back to the fourth century – the earliest in My Son, King Bhadresvara built a temple dedicated to King Bhadravarman – the founder of the first line of kings in Amaravati at the end of the fourth century, which was identified with the god Siva, becoming a religion to worship the gods – kings and royal ancestors. This is a complex of many temples of the Champa kingdom, located in a small valley with a diameter of about 2 km, surrounded by mountains and hills.
My Son Holy Land used to be the place of worship and sacrifice of the Champa Kings, this was also the place where the kings, princes, and national favorites of Champa at that time were buried. My Son Sanctuary is known as one of the main temple centers of Hinduism in Southeast Asia. My Son Sanctuary is likened to the ancient towers of the Champa Dynasty, this place is imbued with Champa religious identity and wears the beauty of a dying civilization.
The architecture of My Son holy place with a unique, sophisticated, imprinted design is divided into 6 types of characteristics: Ancient style, Hoa Lai, My Son, Ponagar, Dong Duong and the style of the people of Binh Dinh. When traveling to My Son holy place, visitors will see the characteristics of this type of architecture, which are stone carved statues, statues of the god Siva, statues of dancers dancing in the Champa style. My Son Sanctuary with more than 70 exquisitely carved and sophisticated temples with many important inscriptions in Sanskrit and Cham.
In addition, another special impression that makes My Son holy place famous is the bricks used to build ancient towers. The bricks are fired and cut into blocks, then cleverly stacked on top of each other without using any kind of binder. Over the centuries, the My Son holy site has not been weathered but only cracked in a very small part.
Time and war have wreaked havoc on the monument. But what is left here is still the mysterious beauty and unique architecture of the Champa people. It is this that has attracted the curiosity of domestic and foreign tourists who come here to visit and explore.
My Son Sanctuary not only has a distinct architecture, but this place is also imbued with the culture of the Cham people with gentle and flexible Cham dances. Unique to the ritual dances is the sacred dance to the gods in the temples and towers. Visitors will see Cham dancers who often wear candles, water, flowers, betel nuts on their heads to celebrate to look lively or the Apsara dance is a dance for the stage. The flexibility and smoothness praise the beauty, the beautiful curves that nature has bestowed on the beauties easily enter the hearts of tourists when coming to My Son.
In addition, there are many unique artistic activities such as folk performances, fire-biting dances, ritual dances, water team dances, etc. It will definitely not disappoint visitors who come here.
This place is also a destination that attracts photographers who love the mysteriousness and exclusivity of the holy land. It is one of the places for backpackers who like to learn and explore, stop here to take some commemorative photos with friends or relatives.
Photo: Nguyen Ky Anh
Source: Vietnambeaty