My Son Sanctuary

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Exploring the Ancient My Son Sanctuary: A Remarkable Testimony of the Champa Kingdom's Cultural Legacy

The My Son Sanctuary, nestled within the verdant hills of Quang Nam Province in Central Vietnam, stands as a captivating testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Champa Kingdom. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, this remarkable collection of abandoned and partially ruined Shaiva Hindu temples offers visitors a glimpse into the spiritual and political heart of the ancient Champa civilization.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ii) : The My Son Sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction the Hindu architecture of the Indian sub-continent into South-East Asia.

Criterion (iii) :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.

Encyclopedia Record: Mỹ Sơn

Mỹ Sơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Shaiva Hindu temples in central Vietnam, constructed between the 4th and the 13th century by the Kings of Champa, an Indianized kingdom of the Cham people. The temples are dedicated to the veneration of God in accordance with Shaivism, wherein God is named Shiva, or The Auspicious One. In this particular complex, he is venerated under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara.

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