Blurry Travel Travelogue - Chams of Central Vietnam

The Chams of Central Vietnam

The Kingdom of Champa ruled Central Vietnam between the 2nd and 15th centuries AD until they were eventually conquered by the Vietnamese. The Chams are considered to be one of the five great Indianised Civilizations of Southeast Asia along with Angkor in Cambodia, Ayuthaya in Thailand, Bagan in Myanmar (Burma) and Java in Indonesia. Their empire stretched from modern day Danang in the north to Nha Trang in the south. The two most famous places in Vietnam to see remnants of this great civilization are at the ancient ruins of My Son outside of Hoi An and the excellent Cham Museum in Danang.

One of the best preserved sanctuaries in the My Son Temple Complex. Notice the stelae lined up in front of the structure.

Images of Shiva Ccrved into the wall of one of the santuaries at My Son.

The Cham Ruins at My Son

During the 4th century, My Son became the religious, cultural and educational center of the Champa Empire. Strategically located in a lush valley surrounded by towering mountains, the site of My Son was continually inhabitated for the next 900 years, longer than any of the other sites of the great Indianized civilizations of South East Asia. Visiting My Son Today, it is easy to see the destruction caused by the American War in Vietnam. Many of the temple structures were destroyed by bombs and you can still see several enourmous bomb craters dotting the landscape. In fact, Phillippe Stern, an expert on Cham art, wrote to President Nixon informing him of the destruciton of the temples of My Son and in response, Nixon ordered that the bombing of the area would continue but that the site of My Son would no longer be a target. In 2000, My Son was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site which provides funding for protection and restoration and ensures its future for generations to come.

A stelae describing the details of when and why the santuaries were built.

Phallus, or linga, respresenting the Hindu god Shiva.

Stone window decorations carved to resemble wooden balustrades.

Detail of the inscription on the stelae pictured above.

Detail of the base of one of the santuaries that was severely damaged during the American War.

Built in the 10th century, this building was used as a library storing religious books and objects.

The main sanctuary at My Son, unfortunately, only the base remains. Notice the library in the background to the left.

Another sanctuary standing defiantly against the ravages of time and war.

Detail of stone carving depicting Cham musicians. This carving is on display inside one of the santuaries that serves as a small museum.

Restoration work in progress. These Vietnamese workers are removing the vegetation that threatens these wonderful monuments.

The Cham Museum in Danang

The Cham Museum in Danang is the largest collection of Cham sculpture and artwork in the world. Housed in an old open air Wat (Buddhist Temple), the Cham Museum was founded in 1915 by the Ecole Francaise D'Extreme Orient. We were fortunate enough to be personally guided around the museum by the informative and humourous Monsier Louis who spends his retired years educating visitors on the wonders of this fine museum.

Karen and our gigantic tour guide, Monsier Louis. He quizzed us throughout our tour of the museum to make sure that we were paying attention. Each correct answer was rewarded by sweets, we left with our pockets bulging with candy.

One of the many exquistie stone carvings on display at the Cham Museum.