My Son Sanctuary is a Cham Pa relic site located in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. My Son Sanctuary was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage in 1999. This is one of the famous destinations in Quang Nam that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
My Son Sanctuary has a long history, built from the 4th to the 14th centuries by the Champa dynasty, with the purpose of being a place to honor Hinduism gods. My Son has a total of more than 70 temples and statues of Champa, however, due to time and war, many works have been destroyed or damaged.
Currently, the remaining works at My Son Sanctuary still retain the characteristics of Champa architectural art, with elaborately carved pillars, walls and entrance. The architecture at My Son reflects the religious spirit, respect for nature and cultural values of the Cham Pa people.
My Son ruins can be visited by road from Da Nang city or Hoi An. Visitors can go on a day tour or stay at a nearby resort for more time to enjoy and explore the area. Visiting My Son Sanctuary will help visitors better understand the history and culture of the Champa dynasty as well as feel the ravishing beauty of the architecture and art of the Champa people.
In the My Son Sanctuary complex, there are many relics built in the period from the 4th to the 14th century. Some outstanding relics in My Son Sanctuary include:
Zone A:
This relic is a place to honor the god linga – yoni, which is considered a symbol of fertility and fructification in Hinduism.
Zone A is one of the most prominent relic sites in My Son Sanctuary, located in the southwest of the complex. This relic was built from the 7th to the 9th centuries and is a place to honor the god linga – yoni, which is considered a symbol of fertility and fructification in Hinduism.
Zone A is built on a high ground, surrounded by fences and built of red bricks. The architecture of the buildings in area A is very special, made from limestone and red stone, with carved motifs on the surface such as linga-yoni form, Hindu religious items, trees, animals and other pictures.
In this ruins, there are many temples and mid-rise towers, built with limestone blocks that overlap each other, creating interconnected rooms and corridors. The outstanding works in zone A include: Temple K, Temple G and Temple H.
Temple K is the largest building in Zone A, measuring 24.5m x 15m and 4m high. This work is built in the style of Champa architecture, with a system of square columns propped up from the ground, along with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Temple G and Temple H are also notable works in Zone A, built at the same time as Temple K. Both of these temples are relatively small in size, but are exquisitely decorated with carved motifs. on the surface.
Site A of My Son Sanctuary is a tourist destination attracting many tourists to visit and explore, especially historical and cultural researchers.
Zone B:
This relic is considered a place to honor the god Shiva, one of the three main gods of Hinduism.
Zone B is one of the important relic sites in My Son Sanctuary, located in the south of the complex. This relic was built from the 9th to the 13th century, with the main architecture being temples and towers.
The architecture at site B is built of limestone, with motifs carved on the surface such as images of Lord Shiva, generals, men and women. Buildings in zone B are built on high ground, with large stone blocks connected to each other, creating interconnected rooms and corridors.
Prominent works in area B include: temple R, temple S and temple U. Temple R is one of the largest works in site B, measuring 32m x 22m and 4m high. This work is built in the style of Champa architecture, with a system of square columns propped up from the ground, along with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Temple S is smaller in size than Temple R, but is decorated very delicately with carved motifs on the surface. Temple U is one of the remarkable works in area B, built with large stone blocks connected together, creating a large room, with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Site B of My Son Sanctuary is a very popular tourist destination, especially for historical and cultural researchers. This relic has been recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage since 1999.
Zone C:
This monument was built from the 9th to the 10th century and is considered a place to honor other gods in Hinduism.
Zone C is one of the important relics of My Son Sanctuary, located in the north of the complex. This relic was built in the 10th to 13th centuries, with the main architecture being temples and towers.
The architecture at site C is built of limestone, with motifs carved on the surface such as images of Lord Shiva, generals, men and women. Buildings in zone C are built on high ground, with large stone blocks connected to each other, creating interconnected rooms and corridors.
The outstanding works at the C monument include: temple E1, temple E2, temple E3 and temple E4. Temple E1 is the largest work in the C relic site, measuring 32m x 21m and 4m high. This work is built in the style of Champa architecture, with a system of square columns propped up from the ground, along with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Temple E2 is smaller in size than temple E1, but is decorated very delicately with carved motifs on the surface. Temples E3 and E4 also have a similar architecture, with large stone blocks connected to each other, creating a large room, with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Site C of My Son Sanctuary is a very popular tourist destination, especially for historical and cultural researchers. This relic has been recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage since 1999.
Zone D:
This relic was built from the 10th to the 13th centuries and is considered a place to honor the gods in Hinduism and indigenous religion of the Cham people.
Zone D is one of the relics of My Son Sanctuary, located in the west of the complex. This relic was built in the 12th to 14th centuries, with the main works being temples and towers.
The architecture at site D is built of limestone, with motifs carved on the surface such as images of the god Shiva, the generals, the man and the woman. The buildings in zone D have simpler architecture than other relics, but still have many great cultural values.
The outstanding works at the D relic area include: temple D1, temple D2, temple D3, temple D4 and temple D5. Temple D1 is the largest work in the D relic site, measuring 15m x 15m and 5m high. This work is built in the style of Champa architecture, with a system of square columns propped up from the ground, along with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Temples D2, D3, D4 and D5 have similar architecture, with large stone blocks connected together, creating a large room, with carved motifs on the walls and ceiling.
Site D of My Son Sanctuary is a very popular tourist destination, especially for historical and cultural researchers. This relic has been recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage since 1999.
Zone E:
This relic was built from the 13th to the 14th centuries and is a place to honor the god Vishnu, one of the three main gods of Hinduism.
Zone E of My Son Sanctuary is one of the most important relic sites of the complex, with works built between the 10th and 13th centuries. Site E is located in the north of the complex, with an area of about 4,800 m2.
The works at the E relic site are built of limestone, with architecture ranging from small temples to tall towers. These structures contain great cultural value, including wall and ceiling carvings with images of gods and shoguns.
The outstanding works at the E relic site include: temple E1, temple E2, temple E3, temple E4, temple E5, temple E6, temple E7, temple E8, temple E9 and temple E10. These buildings all have typical architecture, with carved motifs on the walls and ceilings, creating a very special space.
The most notable point at the E relic site is the E1 temple, which has the most complex and largest architecture among the works in the relic site. Temple E1 was built around the beginning of the 13th century and has a large size, with a length of about 28m, a width of 21m and a height of about 7m. This work has many pieces of stone put together, creating a very beautiful architectural form.
Area E of My Son Sanctuary is also one of the famous tourist attractions of Quang Nam, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to visit and explore. This relic has also been recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage since 1999.
Tất cả các khu di tích tại Thánh địa Mỹ Sơn đều được xây dựng với những kiến trúc độc đáo, phản ánh tinh thần tôn giáo và nghệ thuật kiến trúc Chăm Pa.
