Location:
The World Cultural Heritage My Son tower-temple complex belonging to Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province has its geographic coordinates:
Latitude: 150 515 North.
Longitude: 1080 573 East.
Total conservation area : 1,158 ha.
-Distance from My Son to Tra Kieu (Simhapura Imperial City): 20 km.
-Distance from My Son to Hoi An Ancient Town (The World Cultural Heritage): 45km.
-Distance from My Son to Ancient Capital of Hue (The World Cultural Heritage): 145km.
-Distance from My Son to Da Nang: 68km.
Characteristic:
My Son, a valley surrounded by mountains, was chosen as the site for a religious centre for the capital of the Champa Kingdom. The sanctuary area is one of the most famous Champa architectural and sculptural monuments in Viet Nam.
The Champa Kingdom was an important phenomenon in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia, vividly illustrated by the ruins of My Son. The sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction of the Hindu architecture of the Indian subcontinent into South-East Asia.
The temples in My Son were built into groups that basically followed the same model. Each group was comprised of a main sanctuary (kalan), surrounded by towers and auxiliary monuments. The kalan, which is a symbol of Meru Mountain (centre of the universe, where the gods live) is dedicated to Shiva. The small temples are devoted to the spirits of the eight compass points. In the towers, topped with tiled, curved roofs, were stocked the offerings and sacred objects of the pilgrims. Cham temples do not have windows, so they are very dark inside. Windows are only found on the towers.
Cham towers and temples are built of bricks associated with sandstone decorations. It is quite noteworthy that no adhesive can be seen in between the bricks, which is amazing since some of the works have survived thousands of years. The structures were built, and only then did the sculptors carve the decorations of floral patterns, human figures or animals. This technique is unique in Asia.
The temple and the tower relic of My Son were recognized by UNESCO as the World Cultural Heritage in December 1999.