My Son Temple
Outside of Hoi An

Friday October 10, 2003

Basic history:
Champa was a civilization that lasted from the early Centuries (BC or AD, I'm not sure) through about the 17th century in their full glory.  Remnants of the Cham people still live in areas of Vietnam and Cambodia.  They were a separate civilization and ethnically different from the Viet Dai who now are what would normally be considered Vietnamese.  Champa, at various times, ruled over an area from about Hue down to the Mekong Delta and inland to the mountains (Lao).  Now the Cham are considered to be one of the many ethnic minorities in the region.

The Cham were alternately influenced in religion by their visitors, but early on adopted Hinduism and a caste system, probably picked up from their placement on the trade route between India and China.  Shiva is pictured in statue quite a bit.  The north and the south Cham traded off control of the empire throughout its life, and religious influences changed accordingly.  Buddhism and Islam also played a role, Islam was the most recent influence and most remaining Cham people are today Muslim.

The Cham developed sophisticated irrigation systems and developed the 100 day cycle of rice growing that is still in use today.

My Son is located in a valley that was believed to be the land of the gods, and only Kings and High Priests were allowed in to worship.  The buildings are all of brick made of local mud and carved in place.  Initially the bricks were par-baked and put into place.  There is some discussion about HOW the bricks were held together as there is no sign of mortar.  Apparently the vague documentation alludes to some type of vegetable glue that was used to hold the bricks in place, but it has not been determined what substance it was that could do the trick.  (This is actually one of the factors preventing restoration efforts, that and the effects that bombs have on the relative locations of brick.)  So the par-baked bricks were glued together and rough images were carved into the brick.  Then a huge bonfire was built inside and out of the buildings and the bricks finished cooking this way.  Final details were carved into the brick after the fires subsided and the bricks had cooled.

The temples were largely forgotten to the forest for many years, but were uncovered by French explorers in the early part of last century.  Again, then, My Son remained undisturbed for the most part save conservation efforts until the American War.  During '69 the Viet Cong decided that the valley was a very strategic place to hide out, and subsequent bombing ensued.  Nixon was persuaded to cease the bombing of this world's treasure, but a ground battle continued.  The surrounding area remains littered with unexploded landmines.

My Son, like a few other places in the world, is one of those spots that manages to capture spirituality and channel that essence strongly.  Like walking into a huge church, or touching a special place in the mountains, My Son is a religious center with particularly strong reverberations.  Kath really felt like it was a rare and sacred place.

The first three rows are from the main group of temples that we visited, the A and B groups.  The E and F groups were closed for preservation...

   
This was a fully standing large temple until the American war, when it suffered a direct hit (or 4).  The detail is from a stone column that lays toppled nearby.

       
Bullet holes in a Sanskrit Stihl, Nandi - Shiva's bull, and a 30 year old crater of an American bomb.

Practicalities:
Tour cost $2 per person, $4 if you want to come back by boat and get delivered to various 'crafts villages' i.e. tourist market traps.  The drive takes about 45 minutes to an hour, but the bus cruises around picking people up for 45 minutes before leaving town.  We made the mistake of assuming that when the tour leaves at 8:00 and the drive takes an hour we should arrive at 9:00.  We got there about 10:00.  On arrival, pay 50,000vnd for an entrance to the park.  Ride in a small minivan (Toyota HiAce) or a USMC 1970's jeep the 1.5km to the trail head and walk down into the valley.  IT IS BLOODY HOT AND HUMID!!!  Take bug repellent and plenty of water.  Pack light.  It is not a strenuous hike at all, but the weather is definitely taxing.  After 1½ hours walking tour, reverse the arrival process and return to Hoi An just after 1:00.  As with our Ha Long Bay tour, they will pick you up at your hotel, but drop off is at a separate location.

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