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Myson

My Son was once the spiritual heart of the Kingdom of Champa that occupied what is now the central area of Vietnam for over a thousand years.

The My Son Sanctuary complex of religious monuments originally comprised of more than 70 structures of which 25 remain in varying degrees of ruin. The Cham people erected monumental towers on square or rectangular foundations. They comprised of three elements:

1. The base represented the world of humans

2. The tower body represented the world of spirits

3. The tower head (typically lotus shaped) represented the realm between the two worlds. The structures were usually built of baked bricks and sandstone.

The building techniques are less certain. The thin red bricks used in their construction indicate a very high level of skill. Various theories have been put forward to account for the unerring accuracy of the brickwork. One suggests that they were stuck together by some form of vegetable glue. Another proposes that the towers were erected with the bricks in a dried state and were fired in situ by piling wood against the edifice to create an enormous outdoor ‘kiln’. For anyone who has closely inspected the remarkable regularity of the joint and bonding courses, both seem unlikely explanations.

My Son is worth a visit. It is in an attractive valley, well away from any other buildings, in the mists of a wooded area. It’s usually quiet, peaceful, and very evocative. Even in their ruined state, the towers are impressive, and the scale of the endeavour makes its religious significance obvious.