My Son lures visitors with historic window to the past
One of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam is the World Cultural
Heritage Site of My Son. The site is located in a secluded valley in
Duy Xuyen district in the central coastal province of Quang Nam, about 70km
southwest of Da Nang city.
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Visitors sense the attraction of My Son and come not only to visit a
World Heritage Site, but also to return to the past to admire beauty created
hundreds of years ago. The journey starts at the cathedral of Tra Kieu, 10km
outside My Son, where visitors can conjure up the ancient kingdom of
Sibapura in their imagination. The road to the historical relic site has
been upgraded and after traversing a bamboo suspension bridge across the
canal, visitors board a Zeep to travel a further 2km in the rolling hills
and mountains before reaching My Son.
My Son features vestiges of Buddhism from the former Cham Kingdom and
steles dating back to the fourth century announce that King Bhadresvara
built a temple to worship the deity of Shiva. But 200 years later, this
first wooden temple was destroyed in a devastating fire. In the 17th
century, another king, called Sambhuvarman, rebuilt the temple using more
durable materials and that temple still exists. Successive kings
continuously erected brick temples using mysterious construction techniques
where they made offering to deities. The site contains more than 70
architectural pieces made of bricks and stones, dating back to the seventh
to 13th centuries, My Son was the most important architectural centre of the
former Cham Kingdom.
As visitors come closer to the relic complex to view the ancient mossy
Cham towers, they see each one is covered in statues of elephants, horses,
dancing women and deities. Many of the major temples were used to worship a
set of Linga or phallus statues of Shiva, the protector of Cham kings.
Another deity honored in My Son is Bahadresvara, the creator of the first
clan of kings who reigned over the Amaravati region at the end of the fourth
century. Bahadresvara combined with Shiva to become the main deity and
belief system, which also worshiped kings, ancestors and royal families. My
Son is attractive because it demonstrates the interesting historical truth
that everything on earth can be ruined, but human dreams and creativeness
will exist forever.
In My Son, about 32 relics remain intact, many of them still under
restoration. But visitors are always left with great impressions about the
dreams and creativeness of those who built this wonderful site.
Nguyen Duy Thanh brought his family from the northern province of Ha Tay
to My Son. "The scenery in My Son is spectacular," he said. "We now know
about this ancient culture through the relics here, but the type materials
used to help build the towers is still not known. We had a satisfactory
visit to My Son with helpful assistance from local guides."
Apart from myths and historical stories, visitors also learn about who
restored My Son after hundreds of years of neglect. Scholars from France and
Poland and Tran Ky Phuong, a My Son researcher from Vietnam were behind the
restoration efforts.
Spending a day in My Son, visitors will feel as if they are standing in
front of a huge mirror reflecting history and arts. Since My Son was
recognised as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, there has
been an increasing number of foreign and domestic tourists. In addition to
improving tour services, Quang Nam province plans to conserve and develop
the value of the site.
Dinh Hai, director of the Provincial Department for Tourism, said: "Based
on the master plan, we have devised detailed plans for scientific research
and restoration activities."
"We are also involved in projects drawn up between the governments of
Vietnam and Italy and UNESCO to upgrade tower D, draw up a master plan for
My Son and build the My Son-Thac Ba ecological and cultural area," Mr Hai
said. "In addition, we have strengthened investment in infrastructure
including roads, electricity and water and environment. Open incentive
policies have been adopted to attract more investment in tourism sites."
My Son is a historical and architectural treasure, not just for Vietnam
but for all the people of the world.
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