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 A
scenic trip some 35 kilometers southwest of Hoi An is the Cham Ruins at
My Son. An imperial city during the Cham dynasty between the 4th and
12th centuries, My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics
that comprises more than 70 architectural works. Among these are temples
and towers with intricate inter-connecting red brick pathways. The main
structure in the complex is the Tower which was built to represent the
divinity of the King.
The ruins are nestled in a lush valley surrounded by hills and the
massive Cat’s Tooth Mountain (Hon Quap.)
According to records inscribed on a stone slate, the My Son
architectural complex was initially built as a wooden temple dedicated
to the worship of the SivaBhadresvera genie. When a big fire destroyed
the temple in the late 16th century, it is said that among the ruins,
historical mysteries were unveiled and found by scientists exploring the
temple. It was also from these discoveries that they determined that My
Son was probably the most important temple and revered as a “Holy Land”
by the Cham people from the late 4th to the 15th centuries.
 For
many centuries, the Cham built Lip, a mutually linked architectural
complex, with baked bricks and sandstone. The main temple is dedicated
to the worship of Linga-Yoni, who represents the capability of
invention. Besides the main tower (Kalan) are several other sub-towers
worshipping Genies or deceased kings.
Although time and the wars have destroyed some towers, the remaining
sculptural and architectural remnants still reflect the style and
history of the art of the Cham people. Their masterpieces mark a
glorious time for the architecture and culture of the Cham, as well as
of Southeast Asia.
All of the Cham towers were built on a quadrate foundations and are made
up of three symbolic parts: the tower base, representing the world of
human beings, the tower body, representing the world of spirits, and the
tower top built in the shape of a man with various offerings
representing things that are close to the spirits and human beings.
According to many researchers of the ancient Cham towers, the
architectural art of the Cham towers at My Son Sanctuary is a mix of
many different styles. These styles include the continuity of the
ancient style in the 7th-8th centuries, the Hoa Lai style of the 8th-9th
centuries, the Dong Duong style from the mid-9th century, the My Son and
My Son-Binh Dinh styles.
Among the remnants of many architectural sites excavated in 1898, a 24
meters high tower was found in the Thap Chua area and coded A I by
archaeologists and researchers on My Son. This tower is a masterpiece of
ancient Cham architecture. It has two doors, one in the east and the
other in the west. The tower body is high and supported with a system of
paved pillars with six sub-towers surrounding the tower. From a higher
vantage point, it may be seen that this tower is shaped like the lotus
flower. The top of the upper layer is made of sandstone and carved with
elephant and lion designs. In the lower layer, the walls are carved with
fairies and water evils and men riding elephants. Unfortunately, the
tower was destroyed by US bombs in 1969.
 After
the My Son ancient tower complex was discovered, many of its artifacts,
especially statues of female dancers and genies worshipped by the Cham
people, worship animals and artifacts of the daily communal activities,
were collected and displayed at the Cham Architecture Museum in Danang
city. Although there are not many remnants left, those that remain on
display represent typical sculptural works of cultural value of the Cham
people.
Day trips to My Son may be arranged from Hoi An at about US$3.00, not
including admission. There are also trips back to Hoi An by boat. If you
would like to try and visit the ruins on your own, you may hire a xe om
to drive you there early to beat the tour groups. A road trip should set
you back about US$6.00.
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