My Son Sanctuary

My Son is located in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam, Da Nang City and about 70 km southwest from the city of Hoi An about 40km.
Enclosed in a discreet valley 2km diameter sides between the hills of Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Tra Kieu Citadel way about 20km and 70km Da Nang city near the southwest, My Son Sanctuary is a Hindu kingdom of Champa. According content recorded on steles dating from the fourth century - the earliest in My Son, Bhadresvara king built a temple offerings Bhadravarman king, King founded the first king of the Amaravati late fourth century , is identified with Siva, became the spiritual belief - king and the royal ancestors.

With more than 70 buildings in brick and stone, was built in the seventh century - XIII, My Son became the center of the most important architecture of the ancient Champa kingdom. As was discovered in the late nineteenth century and studied in the early twentieth century, My Son exist 68 buildings. Though restored by EFEO (Ecole Française d'Extreme Orient) in the years 1937 to 1944 but due bombs devastated in the war years that particularly fierce in 1969, where only 32 remaining cell area, of which about 20 shrines retain original appearance according to statistics 1975.

In the years from 1981 - 1991, My Son is preserved and partially restored with the help of the company's expertise P.K.Z (Poland). At the 23 th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Marrakesh (Morocco) from 29-11 to 4-12-1999, My Son relic has been recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritage based on criteria standard C (II) as an example of cultural exchange and standard C (III) as the only evidence of Asian civilization had disappeared.

HISTORY unveiled

If the kingdom of Champa was known as an independent nation, continuous existence since the period 192 - 1832 with the name of Linyi (192-757), Hoan Vuong (757-875), Champa (875-1471) and finally Panduranga - Champa (1471-1832) on the grounds of what is now central Vietnam, with the debacle of this kingdom, the unique structure as American mecca paint or citadel Shimhapura (Tra Kieu), the capital Indrapura (Dong Duong), the capital Vijapura (Phan Rang) ... has gradually been forgotten and lost track of time. Not until 1885 when a French scholar is M.C Paris discovered the My Son ruins, the history of unveiling new Champa Kingdom French scientists eyeing. Over ten years later, the researchers conducted a luminescent and explore ruins. Louis Finot start Launet de Lajonquere research and the epitaph (1898 - 1899), through the early twentieth century, the architect-cum-archaeologist Henri Parmentier has studied the art of architecture, sculpture Care (1901 - 1 902) and last through 1904 he held Olrpeaus archaeological excavations at My Son. In 1904, the most basic information about the inscriptions and architecture L. Finot My Son has been and H. Parmentier officially announced. From the study of H. Parmentier, My Son it is known also to 68 buildings and he was classified into groups A, A 'to N.


Remaining vestiges of American Son Sanctuary

 Through mapping of monuments including temples remaining buildings or have been destroyed, the Cham language texts and Sanskrit on the surface of the beer and stone works, the history of China and Vietnam male and diplomatic documents related ..., scientists have gradually restored historic ancient Champa kingdom. But there is still much controversy but almost Champa is not a political institution centralization style, which is a federal form loose with the participation of numerous states, including each of which are autonomous political institutions separate and easy breakaway to form independent states. Champa kingdom including the Cham ethnic majority and some ethnic groups in the mountainous Central Highlands but Cham itself consists of two groups: Cham tribe Nam Cau (Kramuta Vanusa) and North Cham tribe Dua ( Naeikela Vanusa). Two tribes allied with each other but yet still having to compete for the senior leadership in the kingdom.

Over many many times dynasty moved the capital from north to south or from south to north, four terrane known in history as Amaravati Champa Kingdom (now the city of Da Nang, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai to the city center two Indrapura located in Dong Duong, now in Thang Binh district and city Simhapura located in Tra Kieu Duy Xuyen district today - this terrane at least extend including Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue province today), Vijaya (now the whole Binh Dinh province with the capital city as well as Vijaya is located near Qui Nhon Vietnam today that history is recorded or Cha Ban Ban), Kauthara (including two provinces of Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen today, with the capital city as well as Kauthara, now the city of Nha Trang) and Panduranga (including the provinces of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan today, with the capital city as well as today's Panduranga Phan Rang - Thap Cham). But Champa territory including Western Highlands and sometimes also expanded to take in Laos today, but because of the Cham have traditionally seafaring commercial activities associated with the sea, they often settle in the delta provinces central coast of Vietnam today.

MY SON - LANDMARK timeless

In the early days of water, Champa culture has influenced quite strongly by the Indian culture and since the first century AD, Sanskrit (Sanskrit) was applied to acquire Cham, become Southeast Asian countries have written first. From the Sanskrit word form, the Cham were omitted the recording side is not in the Cham language and added several new symbols forming Sanskrit - Champa. The researchers analyzed 65 Cham and 24 foot sign language derived from cursive system (Akhar Thrah) of India. The handwriting on the beer Vo Canh in the 3rd century have used a writing style very close to the style of the inscriptions written Amaravati in South India region. There Champa script for more than 10 centuries of existence and corresponding change of era and the different influences of India, such as Century 6-8 square form of North India itself, so much 9th century onwards the circular form of the South Indian self.

Information from the My Son said epitaph beginning of the architectural ensemble here is a wooden temple was built from the late fourth century, church king - Siva - Bhadravarman. This temple after more than two centuries of existence, has been destroyed by a major fires and early seventh century, the king gave Sambhuvarman rebuilt using concrete materials, even to this day. Throughout the centuries, the Cham built up here a unique architectural complex with terracotta materials and sandstone, formed the center of culture and beliefs of the Champa dynasty. It is outside the main temple worship Linga-Yoni, the symbol of creative energy, there are also the main tower (Kalan) and many sub-church tower gods or kings, the higher increase than the past.

The tower at My Son temple was built according to the same protocol, on a quadrangular ground consists of 3 parts: the base tower represents the earthly world is built solid, the body of the tower symbolizes the world divine mysticism tinged color, the top section shows the communication protocols such as human figures present the fruit, the flowers, birds, mammals, such as elephants, lions are the symbol close to human life and religious people ...

Map American relics Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary overall two hills, facing each other in the direction east - west and at the crossroads of a stream, the creek has become natural boundaries My Son Sanctuary divided into four areas A, B, C, D. this medium dividing with feng shui elements to just avoid fragmentation of the overall architecture as way that H. Parmentier did in 1904. Zone A consists of one main tower and four side towers located on the eastern hill.

Zone A consists of one main tower and four side towers located on the eastern hill.

Zone B consists of one main tower and three towers located on the hill side to the west.

    Zone C is located to the south is an area with many towers and the best sculpture, divided into C1 in the East is surrounded by a spring with 4 architecture scattered outside and 2 inside (including 2 towers the main tower with 8 women, 1 main tower and two side towers comes with a number of stone sculptures); West C2 6 architecture outside and 20 inside architecture (including 3 main tower and 12 women with a number of statues tower, reliefs and sculptures, stone memorials religious).

Zone D is located north of the first architectural architecture outside and 11 inside.

Go through a lengthy process, each stage or dynastic history carries its own mark with different architectural lines. The temples at My Son became masterpieces mark a glorious record of not only architecture but also of Champa culture in Southeast Asia. He F.S. Tern, an art researcher was based on the development of the kingdom of Champa to the architectural monuments divided into 7 Cham art style, the My Son has met representatives of the style, the style a century old 7-8, Hoa Lai style century 8-9, Dong Duong style from the mid-9th century, the style of My Son and My Son and the transition between Binh Dinh, Binh Dinh style ... special style My Son the way to the starting point of the temple A1 is considered the architectural masterpiece of the Cham ruins.

Not so long ago on the day 26-10-2005, the Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Conservation Centre - Monuments Quang Nam has stunned the scientific community when it announced a major archaeological discovery: the subsoil area My Son relics currently exists an "American Son" other. According to Dr. Le Dinh Phung, Head of the excavation of the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, the depths from 0.9 - 2.3 m below the surface of the site of the tower D, digging holes H1, H2 and H3 were detected signs traces the architecture is not connected to the existing My Son architecture, including towers falling down to the bank of brick, stone, columns, decorative block ... started dating from the ninth century. The team has also collected more than 445 exhibits of an architectural stone tower dating back to the thirteenth century. But the architecture was discovered dating does not "ancient" than many had known architecture but also help the scientific community to have a better insight into the ground, just to get more knowledge about the architecture has become the cultural heritage of mankind, has had the opportunity to dig deep to discover the culture of a people radiant ethnic communities in Vietnam.

Today many of its artifacts like the gods that people worship Care, the church specimens, the scenes the dancers or community activities ... at the My Son ancient tower has been exhibited in several museums in domestic and international, and focus more particularly at the Museum of Cham architecture Danang. These objects are introduced, though not much, but a bit on the priceless sculpture, is living proof of the historical reality a people with a culture superior but lacked luck did not exist in the private How a country through space and time ...