My Son
Day Eight - Vietnam - 2019
A day exploring the UNESCO World Heritage of My Son - built over one thousand years, destroyed in a week.
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
Editorial Comment: Throughout this page, I use Vietnamese characters in the spellings of place names whenever possible; however, some Vietnamese characters are not compatible with some of the fonts used throughout this website, and -in those cases- I have used what I can determine to be the most common English language transliteration.
1. Group B/C/D #1
My Son is a collection of Hindu temples in Quang Nam Province built by the Champa People.
After my morning walk around the Ancient Town in Hoi An, I returned to the hotel for breakfast before being picked up for my day trip to My Son. I was the only one from my group who opted to do this tour, so I actually had to tag along with another tour operator - a strange feeling, as the members of that group seemed to know one another already! Nonetheless, they were very accommodating of this random person, and we had a lovely day out. Since my tour guide arranged the booking, I hadn’t any real clue as to the itinerary, and I was pleasantly surprised how involved the trip was. First, we made our way to My Son - after riding on a shuttle cart through scenery reminiscent of Jurassic Park, you arrive at the small temple complex. Much like Halong Bay, all the groups seem to arrive at the same time, so the best strategy is to let the major crowds pass through in front of you so you have nothing but people-free scenery to chew in their wake.
There isn’t much to add about My Son beyond that it is definitely worth the morning trip from Hoi An to see it. The following 24 (24!) photographs are from the complex, and I’ve done my best to tack on some facts about My Son with each picture. Enjoy!
2. Group B/C/D #2
The temples were generally built between the 4th and 14th centuries before abandonment.
3. Group B/C/D #3
The temples were primarily built to worship the god Shiva.
4. Group B/C/D #4
Before its abandonment, My Son was composed over 70 temples.
5. Group B/C/D #5
In 1999, My Son was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
6. Group B/C/D #6
My Son is located in close proximity to Tra Kieu, first capital of the Champa Kingdom.
7. Group B/C/D #7
Champa abandonment of My Son is believed to correspond with the Kingdom’s conversion to Islam from the 9th century to the 17th century.
8. Group B/C/D #8
My Son was rediscovered in 1898 by the French, which was followed by a six-year archaeological survey.
9. Group B/C/D #9
The French conducted restoration of the site between 1937 and 1943.
10. Group B/C/D #10
The ancient form of the Chamic language is only now being fully understood.
11. Group B/C/D #11
The remaining temples at My Son are always at risk of collapse due to age and the demanding environmental conditions in central Vietnam.
12. Group B/C/D #12
Restoration projects are ongoing, using the French survey at the turn of the 20th century as a guide .
13. Group B/C/D #13
The restoration project is not without controversy, however, as it begs questions concerning the ethics of cultural artifact restoration...
14. Group B/C/D #14
…And in the case of My Son, this ethical question centers around the manufacture of brick used in the restoration process, the Champa process for which is not fully understood…
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15. Group B/C/D #15
…For example, the structures have no organic mortar between the brilliant red bricks, suggesting the mortar was made from the material used to make the bricks themselves…
16. Group B/C/D #16
…Also, the decorative figures on the temples appear to be carved directly into the brick, rather than on a separate insert; how, then, does restoration preserve such figures?…
17. Group B/C/D #17
...As for free-standing figures such as this headless statue, do you restore or leave as found?…
18. Group B/C/D #18
...Nonetheless, My Son is generally considered to be short on time without some form of restoration process.
19. Group G #1
Group G is an example of a temple that has been partially restored over recent years.
20. Group G #2
Kala, the Hindu god of time, surrounds the Group G temple.
21. Group G #3
The brighter brick from recent restoration work contrasts heavily with the darker color originals.
22. The Thick Jungle of Vietnam
The area surrounding My Son was used as a base by the North Vietnamese Army during the U.S.-Vietnam War...
23. Group G #4
…And was heavily bombed by U.S. forces over the course of one week in August 1969...
24. Group A
…Resulting in the destruction of about 50 of the 70 temples in My Son, to include the largest, the A1 Temple...
25. Scars of War
…And large bomb craters from the bombing runs are still visible today.
26. Rice Paper Workshop #1
Rice paper is made by taking a mixture of ground rice and water and placing it on a cloth over a pot of boiling water for between 30 seconds and one minute...
As mentioned previously, I was not aware of the My Son day trip itinerary when departing Hoi An, so I was pleasantly surprised they pulled a Billy Mays - wait, there’s more! First, we stopped at a rice paper workshop, where we got a brief tutorial on how to make this Asian specialty.
27. Rice Paper Workshop #2
…Before being placed onto a rack to dry.
I think the group did pretty good!
28. Rice Paper Workshop #3
And the dogs in the workshop weren’t turning their noses at the final product, which was a good sign.
29. Birds Over the Thu Bon River
The Thu Bon River was essential for the Champa people, who even established a city near modern-day Hoi An over 1,000 years ago.
After departing the rice paper workshop, we stopped briefly for lunch at a homestead (we learned afterwards that this was actually the tour guide’s home!) We then boarded a boat up the Thu Bon River from Hoi An and took a short but pleasant river cruise into the Ancient Town. Along the way we saw birds…
30. Thu Bon River Life
…And lots of locals out on boats fishing the waters. Returning to Hoi An around 2PM, I made my way to Yaly Couture for my first fitting. After sketching out some adjustments, I was told to return in about two hours for a second fitting. I spent this time wandering around the Ancient Town, knocking some much-needed souvenir shopping off my to-do list. Second fitting was a success, and I was told that the jacket would be delivered that evening to my hotel. Splendid service! I walked back to the hotel and met up with the group for dinner before turning in for the evening - but not before picking up my slammin’ smoking jacket from the front desk.
