In the vicinity of Da Nang, an extraordinary heritage site from the 4th century CE lies hidden in a jungle! Its splendour is quite comparable with the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Ayutthaya in Thailand. My Son Sanctuary, a group of extraordinary ancient monuments from the erstwhile Champa Kingdom of Vietnam is a heritage lover’s paradise. In spite of its similarity to a few other sites in south-east Asia, My Son Sanctuary is quite unique in essence and significance. Its UNESCO World Heritage Site tag is just an official stamp of My Son Sanctuary’s universal value.
Not only its architecture, but also its cultural heritage has a strong India origin. So, this was a strong reason why we chose this place to explore. However, irrespective of the India connection, My Son Sanctuary is a wonderful place to spend good part of a day. Culling out from our day tour from Da Nang in November 2024, here’s a travel guide on how to plan your day for a My Son Sanctuary Tour.
{For more such destinations, check out Ninh Binh (Vietnam) ||| Chiang Mai (Thailand)}
A tumultuous history, and the Indian connection
For all its grandeur, My Son Sanctuary has a long but tumultuous history. In fact, the origin of My Son Sanctuary predates the Angkor Wat! While Angkor Wat originated in the 12th century, the monuments of My Son Sanctuary were built over several decades between 4th and 13th century CE by the kings of Champa Kingdom of the Cham people. They had strong links with and were influenced by Indian Kingdoms, culture and heritage. The Cholas, Pallavas and Kalinga had maritime trade and marital relations with the Champa Royal class.
To a significant extent, the Indian religions (especially Hinduism) and architecture influenced the Cham society and monuments. They largely followed Hindu traditions and built Hindu temples, especially devoted to Lord Shiva. These monuments were among the finest in the world of that era. While the Champa capital cities were based in nearby Indrapura (Dong Duong) and Simhapura (Tra Kieu), they used My Son as a cultural center with tens of temples and tombs.
{For more such historic sites, check out: Hampi (south India) ||| Khajuraho (north India)}
Decline and restoration:
In the late 13th century, the Champa Kingdom moved to a new capital- Binh Dinh. This meant the temples slowly started getting out of prominence. However, come 1471, the Vietnamese empire conquered the Champa Kingdom and its decline accelerated. Long afterwards, when the jungles had claimed these temples, a French officer Camille Paris discovered it in 1898 by chance. The colonial powers then decided to restore the temple complex in 1937.
Re-destruction, re-restoration, and the new Indian connection:
Unfortunately, all the efforts of the French went down the drain due to the Vietnam War. Suspecting that the Vietnamese Army was using the temples to hide, the Americans bombed these historic sites. Such a pity! In just a week’s bombing in August 1969, a large number of monuments were destroyed!
In the aftermath of the war, restoration started again in 1981 with the help of Polish conservators. Later, the Japanese and Italian governments contributed to the cause. Starting 2014, India has been a significant supporter of the restoration process. While walking around the complex, we felt proud to see those boards explaining the Indian contribution to its restoration.
My Son Sanctuary Tour: An underrated destination
The longest inhabited cultural site in Vietnam, My Son Sanctuary is surprisingly underrated. Its archaeological ruins from 4th century doesn’t even count among the most visited sites in Vietnam! It’s indeed mindboggling how these magnificent monuments are not so popular! The day we were there, we would have come across only about a hundred tourists in the campus! The whole area looked surprisingly deserted. Just a day ago, when we were in Hoi An, it was jam packed! So, it was sad to see an amazing heritage site in its vicinity not being visited as much.
But if you are an archaeology buff, you must not miss this site. Just a look at the remaining monuments below, and you will make up your mind.
Monuments of My Son Sanctuary:
Of the numerous temples and monuments that might have been there, about 70 remain in relatively good condition. As said earlier, the temples in My Son Sanctuary complex were devoted to Hindu Gods, especially Lord Shiva. Though HE had various local names, the most prominent name was Bhadreshvara. HIS being was represented by Linga-Yoni (phallic representation of Shiva and Shakti). Among other Gods, one finds the statues of Vishnu, Brahma and Ganesha.
Much like the south Indian temple complexes, My Son temples had four main structures.
- Gopura: The main entry gate, a large tower
- Mandapa: A stage for rituals, festivities and cultural performances
- Koshaghra: A storage room, also used for cooking for the deities
- Kalan: The main temple where the statues of deities were housed.
How to get around the temples of My Son Sanctuary:
My Son Sanctuary has remnants of 14 groups of temples (10 of them are prominent): A- A’- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N. From the main entry point, they take the tourists to the main temple complex by a shuttle bus/ taxi. That point onwards, one has to walk around a circular path covering all the main temple groups.
One can either take a clock-wise or anti-clock-wise direction to complete the loop. However, I would suggest walking in a clock-wise direction. Because this gives one a chance to observe the chronological evolution of temple architecture at My Son Sanctuary.
Taking a clock-wise direction, one comes across the K group of temples first, and H group at last. From start to beginning, one has to walk around 6000 steps ~ 4 kms. One must stick to the track, and not venture into the unpaved path since they are still finding fragments of bombs in the area!
Other experiences at My Son Sanctuary:
Though My Son Sanctuary is known for its archaeological significance, one can have a great cultural experience there as well. Apsara dance, a graceful classical dance form of Khmer origin, is also practiced in Vietnam. While being at My Son Sanctuary, if one plans well, one can watch a glorious performance by local artists. There are two shows daily, one in the morning (~ 9.30 AM) and one in the afternoon (~ 2.30 PM); the timings change a bit as per the season. So, do plan your trip accordingly.
One should also visit the My Son Museum. A number of significant pieces statues and sculptures have been removed from the main site and displayed here for better conservation.
Major Temple Groups of My Son Sanctuary
For one’s convenience, let me briefly capture all the major groups of temples.
- K group of temples: On reaching the K group, you will notice remnants of two walls from the 11th century proudly standing over a platform.
- N group: Walking from K to E-F group, in a few hundred meters to the right, lies the N group. But these are not accessible to the tourists. Not many structures remain there except the foundations.
- E- F group of temples: As per experts, these are the oldest (7th- 8th CE) remaining structures at My Son Sanctuary. Look around, and you will see about 20 bomb craters in its premises.
- G group: In about hundred meters from E-F group, one can access the G group by a staircase. Built in the 12th century, this is the only group to have a stele describing its building process.
- A- A’ group of temples: These are perhaps the most impressive group of temples at My Son Sanctuary from an architectural perspective. Though most of them were built between 9th and 13th centuries, some of them date back to the 4th CE.
- B- C- D group of temples: Built between 8th and 13th century, this is the largest group of temples standing together in My Son Sanctuary. A collection of American bomb shells is housed in one of the structures in group D.
Our My Son Sanctuary Tour from Da Nang
Last year (2024) in November, we first visited Vietnam. While planning our trip, I hardly came across anyone suggesting to visit My Son Sanctuary. But one evening, Parina brought my attention to a documentary on this archaeological site in the Quang Nam province near Da Nang. Initially, we were not sure of its significance, and had our doubts whether it would be worth visiting. But a little more research did convince us to plan a day trip to My Son Sanctuary from Da Nang. And we were so happy later that we did keep a day for this.
We clubbed another interesting site enroute in the day trip- that of the Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son). Starting in the morning by a taxi around 10.00 AM, we reached the Marble Mountains ~ 10.30 AM.
Marble Mountains:
Ngu Han Son, popularly known as Marble Mountains is a group of five marble and limestone hills, about 12 kms south of Da Nang. Literally speaking, Ngu Hanh Son means ‘Five Elements’- metal, water, wood, fire and earth. One can enter the hills through cave entrances and inside, there are Buddhist shrines. Walking through the tunnels and reaching its center was truly a fascinating experience. We climbed the narrow steps inside to reach the top and look around the landscape. (More about the place in a separate article later)
After spending about an hour at the mountains, we left for My Son Sanctuary (~40 kms from there) around 12 PM.
Experiencing the ancient heritage site at My Son Sanctuary:
Reaching My Son Sanctuary around 1 PM, the first task was to get an entry ticket at the gateway. And then we joined a group of other tourists in a waiting shuttle car. The car dropped us near the starting point of the trail loop of the My Son Sanctuary. Later we realized that we could have chosen a cycle ride as well.
After walking a few hundred meters, we came to the crossroads where the loop road begins. But we had no clue whether to take the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Noticing that more people were taking the anticlockwise loop, we also took that one. Coincidentally, it proved to be the right decision. Because this path led to the Apsara Dance Center near the B-C-D group. The Apsara performance timing was 2 PM. Had we taken the clockwise loop, we would have perhaps missed the show.
On reaching the cultural center, we realized that it was some 20 minutes to start the start the show. So, we headed to the nearest group of temples- B-C-D group. Archaeology lover that I’m, the first sight of the temples was absolutely thrilling. With broad pinnacles, they indeed resembled the temple architecture of south India. Though the temples from earlier periods of 4th- 7th century were almost lost, the ones from 10th to 13th century were fairly well conserved.
Cultural Show:
After exploring the B-C-D group, we came back to the cultural center for the Apsara dance performance. I must say, it was an enthralling music and dance performance. ‘Apsara’ in Hindu mythology means celestial dancers in the court of Gods. True to the name, the dancers looked and played like artists from the heaven. Their elegant hand & body postures and movements charmed the audience.
More importantly, the cultural show was more than only Apsara dance. The local artists presented a variety of dance forms with traditional themes and stories.
After enjoying the show, we headed again to the B-C-D group to complete the round. Next up, the A- group was just a few hundred meters from there. A- group was equally impressive. Among all the groups, this was the most organized, and with a nice compound wall. Walking back from the A- group, in a few minutes, we reached group- G. A few steps of climb took us to the G- group monuments over an elevated platform.
At the G- group, there was a surprise waiting for us. To our delight, a group of pretty local traditional folk dancers were performing there. We really enjoyed their performance and headed to group- E-F and then K- group.
The walk back through the forested route was enjoyable. By that time, we were really hungry. So, we had some local snacks (Banh Thuan) and tea before boarding a shuttle taxi back to the exit gate.
My Son Sanctuary: How to plan your day and other tips
Best time to visit:
Vietnam has two main seasons: the dry season and the wet season. From February to August, it’s the dry season, and good for travel. During September- January period, it rains a lot, and travelling can be an irritating experience. Though we were there in November, luckily, we didn’t face much problem due to rains. However, we did hear from the locals that it was flooding in the region just before we arrived there.
Planning the day/ Opening hours:
Everyday, from 6 AM to 5 PM, My Son Sanctuary is open. But early morning or evening hours are best times. I would suggest that either go for an early morning trip and end with the Apsara performance (~9.30 AM), or start with the Apsara performance (~2. 30 PM) and then take the walk around the monuments.
How to reach:
The nearest airport to My Son Sanctuary is in Da Nang. So, basically one has to reach Da Nang and visit My Son Sanctuary as a day trip. Some tourists stay longer in Hoi An, another popular destination near Da Nang. It’s equally convenient to visit My Son Sanctuary on a day trip from Hoi An as well.
How to get around:
- From Da Nang/ Hoi An, one can either take a public transport (bus) or a taxi
- At My Son Sanctuary, one can take a cycle ride or, choose to walk around.
Where to stay:
Staying either in Da Nang or Hoi An is fine. For convenience, I’m sharing some good budget hotel options below.
- Da Nang: Hanami ||| Sea Near Me ||| Sontra Sea ||| Grand Sunrise Boutique ||| Pavilion Da Nang ||| Le House Boutique ||| Central Hotel & Spa.
- Hoi An: Calla ||| Hoi An Corn Riverside ||| Hoi An Canal House ||| Hoi An Riverie Villas ||| Melody Boutique Villa ||| Nature Resort Hoi An ||| Pham Gia Boutique.
What/ Where to eat:
- Things to try: Banh Me ||| Banh Xeo ||| Mi Quang ||| Banh Thuan.
- Some good restaurants: Cua Bien (Da Nang) ||| Bep Cuong (Da Nang) ||| Thia Go (Da Nang) ||| La Sen (Hoi An) ||| Cafe Nam Hai (Hoi An) ||| Morning Glory Signature (Hoi An).
Concluding Thoughts
Historic sites appeal to the true traveller inside me like no other types of destination. My Son Sanctuary is such an amazing place for archaeology lovers! Moreover, its location among the forests adds to the beauty and mystery of the place. Besides, its Indian connection made it even more important for us. It’s mindboggling how no one teaches us this in the textbooks in India! Traders and Kings from India in early part of the first millennium made their way all the way as far as Vietnam and Malaysia and influenced their culture so significantly! The thought itself filled us with pride.
If you are in Vietnam, and are a history/ monument lover, My Son Sanctuary is a must for you. I hope this article is helpful for your planning. If you want to know more, do write to us.
Mehmet Kurtkaya
That’s a very detailed, well written article. I haven’t heard of My Son before reading this article. I run a hotel site called localhotels.com and I am currently in Da Nang. I plan to make a Da Nang where to stay page, and maybe include guide info, I will link your page if I do such a page.
stampedmoments
Hi Mehmet!
Thanks a lot for your feedback. I’m really happy that you liked it.
Do let me know about your page also; I may write about it.
All the best!