My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary was built between the fourth and thirteenth centuries CE. The property is located in central Vietnam's hilly border Duy Xuyen District of Quang Nam Province. It is located in a high geological basin surrounded by mountains, which serves as the watershed for the holy Thu Bon river. The Thu Bon river originates here and travels past the monuments, out of the basin, and through the historic heartland of the Champa Kingdom before emptying into the South China Sea at the old port city of Hoi An. The strategic significance of the site is enhanced by its position, which is also readily defendable.
The tower temples were built during a ten-century period in what was the ancestral homeland of the ruling Dua Clan, who unified the Cham clans and formed the kingdom of Champapura (Sanskrit for City of the Cham people) in 192 CE. From the fourth through the thirteenth century CE, this distinctive civilization on the coast of modern Viet Nam traced its spiritual roots to Indian subcontinent Hinduism. Many temples to Hindu deities such as Krishna and Vishnu, but especially Shiva, were erected under this influence. Although Mahayan Buddhism infiltrated Cham culture and grew well entrenched in the north of the kingdom, Shivite Hinduism remained the official state religion.
The My Son sanctuary's monuments are the most important structures and beautiful history of the My Son civilization. The tower temples have a range of architectural patterns that represent the magnificence and purity of Mount Meru, the fabled holy mountain abode of Hindu gods at the center of the cosmos, which is now symbolically duplicated on Earth in the Cham people's mountainous homeland. They are made of fired brick, supported by stone pillars, and adorned with sandstone bas-reliefs representing episodes from Hindu mythology. Their mechanical competence demonstrates Cham engineering talents, while the tower temples' intricate iconography and symbolism provide insight into the substance and growth of Cham's religious and political philosophy.
The My Son Sanctuary is a magnificent architectural ensemble that evolved over a ten-century span. It paints a vivid picture of spiritual and political life during a pivotal period in South-East Asian history.
Location: My Son Sanctuary, Quang Nam Province.
