My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam is a famous historical heritage of Quang Nam province with an architectural complex including many unique Champa temples. The relic site was discovered in 1885 and recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1995.
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Once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom, My Son Sanctuary is located in a hilly landscape in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, about 70 km southwest of central Da Nang city and 40 km from Hoi An city. Owed their spiritual origins to the Hinduism of the Indian sub-continent, My Son temples were built to the Hindu divinities such as Krishna and Vishnu, but above all Shiva.
My Son Sanctuary was built in the 4th century by King Bhadravarman and ended in the late 13th and early 14th centuries under the reign of King Jaya Simhavarman III. This is a complex with more than 70 temples and towers with unique architecture, symbolizing each historical period of the Champa kingdom.
This used to be the place to organize sacrifices as well as the area of the tombs of the kings and princes of the ancient Champa dynasties. My Son Sanctuary is known as a famous work of the Champa kingdom, with more than 70 temples and towers made of brick and stone, built from the 7th to the 13th centuries.
The architecture of My Son Sanctuary is influenced by Hinduism. The temples are built of brick and stone, mainly facing the east – the direction of the rising sun is also the residence of the gods. The structure of the temple and tower is divided into 3 parts, including the base of the tower, the body of the tower, and the top of the tower. Each historical period has its imprint, each temple and tower worshiping different gods and kings in general, My Son is built on a quadrangle, divided into 3 parts, the base of the tower, The tower body, and the top part both symbolize a certain meaning.
Area A: A place where visitors can see the entire temple complex.
Area B: It is home to 1 main tower and 3 auxiliary towers. This area is located on the western hill.
Area C: Here will be the southern hill, the most prominent area in My Son Sanctuary with many inscriptions, temples, reliefs, and the most impressive and unique sculptures in My Son Sanctuary.
Kalan Temple is the place to worship Linga, also known as Lord Shiva, which is a supreme god in Hindu beliefs. Kalan Temple has a great height of 24m and is surrounded by 6 auxiliary towers, which is also one of the main ancient towers of the My Son Sanctuary tourist site.
Gate Tower: Also known as Gopura tower, Gate tower is a tower located right in front of Kalan tower. The main distinguishing feature is that there are two connecting doors in the East and West directions. Zooming your eyes from this tower, you can easily watch the sunset in the sunset, beautiful and fanciful.
This tower has a unique and strange architecture built in the image of a long house with a tower gate, this is chosen as a place to welcome pilgrims to offer offerings. When visiting Mandapa tower, you will admire the delicate and sophisticated hand-crafted lines of the ancients, and admire the artistically sculpted patterns on the tower gate.
Kate Festival – a unique traditional festival of the Cham people: Admire the architectural works of high artistic value, learn the meaning of My Son Sanctuary, and also have the opportunity to discover the cultural beauty of the Cham people. This is traditional festival, extremely important to the Cham people. The festival, held in July every year according to the Cham calendar, is an occasion for the Cham people to remember their ancestors and grandparents, and pray for the proliferation of all things. Besides, the Kate festival is also the crystallization of cultural values in the community life of the Cham people.
Apsara dance “soul of stone” is flexible and attractive: It can be said that Apsara is a harmonious combination of each move, skillful and flexible hand movements, and the beautiful beauty of Cham dancers with the sound of Paranung drums and Saranac trumpets.
Don’t miss to learn about ancient Champa culture in My Son Sanctuary. Coming to Elephant Travel, we take you to visit and provide you with information about ancient Champa architecture here accompanied by enthusiastic, knowledgeable Guides will bring a great experience for you.
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