This excursion by vehicle is a great way to spend the day and one of the “must do” activities when visiting Hoi An and Central Vietnam. Most people are aware of the fantastic temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and these temples at My Son date from the same period and are from the same indigenous group of people.
The My Son remnants are considered the largest and most holy temple complex of the Champa Kingdom in the south central coastal area. The complex is comparable to other great structures which bear the hallmarks of Indian civilization in the Southeast Asian region.
Located 68 km (42 miles) southwest of Hoi An, My Son lies in an emerald circular valley about 2 kilometers in diameter. Our drive by vehicle takes us about an hour and a half to reach the site. It is surrounded by hills and mountains.
Construction work went on from the 4th to the 13th centuries and the temples were dedicated to Shiva. The site was abandoned by the 15th century when the Cham people moved south.
My Son at one stage boasted 71 brick and stone structures. Regretfully the complex was heavily damaged by warfare and, as a result, there remain only 32 ancient towers, of which only 20 have their original figures kept relatively intact. The relief carvings depicting deities, human beings or animal creatures are what are most interesting here. You may also like to ponder how the Cham craftsmen put all the bricks together without using any mortar - many researchers are baffled.
