Exploring Central Vietnam - 18 May 2023 – My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An

The bed was comfortable and the rest was complete. The accommodation provides a buffet breakfast for its residents. There were plenty of fruits – mangoes, dragon fruit and pineapple – local delicacies and eggs and bacon. After feasting heartily I was ready for the group tour to the My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had arranged the trip through the hotel. I picked up from the hotel at a quarter to eight for the tour.

The tour guide was the ebullient Youm, who used his stentorian voice to explain the significance of My Son Sanctuary and its ‘rediscovery’ in the 20th century by French explorers. Youm also explained how the hot weather would impact us and that we should constantly hydrate ourselves. The My Son Sanctuary is about an hour's drive from Hoi An, to its South-West. The conservation site is about 1160 hectares.

Once we reached the parking lot of the Sanctuary we had to present our tickets at the entrance and walk a short distance to the battery operated golf cart shelter, from where we were taken a fair distance into the Sanctuary to begin our tour ‘exploration’ by foot. My Son was a place of worship between the 4th and 14th century, built by the the Champa Kings, an Indianised kingdom of the Cham people, whose capital was Tra Kieu, about 10 km from the Sanctuary. The temples were dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the various temples Lord Shiva was venerated under various names, of which the most important was Bhadreshvara.

The unmistakable spiritual influence of Indian Hinduism is evident from the ruins of the towers and halls in the Sanctuary, which was lost to civilization for over 400 years before it was rediscovered by the French in the 20th century. Besides being a place of worship it was also a burial place for the Cham Kings. It is believed that the complex had more than 70 temples. The unique construction methods have stunned the best researchers and even to-date the technique of baking the bricks, bonding and weather proofing them have not been uncovered.

The site was extensively bombed by the Americans during the Vietnam War, suspecting it to be a hideout of the Viet Cong rebels. The ruins of the Sanctuary have ample evidence of the scripts, adornments, deities, hairdos, customs and culture of the times as well as the influence of its westerly neighbour, India, which, since 2015, has been involved in the restoration process of the site through the Archaeological Survey of India. My Son is not even half as impressive as Angkor Wat, but remains an important link in the spread of Hinduism in the years gone by. 

A 15 minute cultural show, which showcased traditional Cham folk art, rounded up the visit. The weather was oppressive. However, the excellent infrastructure and the support systems of restaurants, resting places, WCs and paved walkways was a revelation. The promotion of tourism in Vietnam harnesses local entrepreneurship and relies on their innate hospitality, integrity and discipline.

At the exit of the site, near the ticket office, is the My Son Museum, where one can get general information about the My Son relics and culture. Many posters and pictures explain the history of My Son Sanctuary and compare it to the other Indianised archaeological and religious sites in Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Of particular interest to me was the detailed explanation and description of the scientific principles of temple construction; vastushastra in practice.

The last stop at the Sanctuary was the restaurant, where the tour operator had arranged lunch. Sitting within the restaurant was a relief from the sweltering, energy sapping weather. The restaurant had many jars of infused wines for sale. Popular amongst them were guava, potato, grapes and beeswax infused wines. After some much needed rest and a meal of noodles, the group was transported to a jetty to continue our journey to Hoi An by boat.

The Thu Bon River is not very imposing, but is one of the major rivers in Vietnam and has played an important role in the history and culture of the region. The river is approximately 124 kilometers long and has a drainage basin of 10,350 square kilometers. It has been an important transportation route for centuries, with boats and barges carrying goods up and down the river. The river has also been an important source of fish and other aquatic resources for the local population.

During the Cham dynasty (7th-17th centuries), the Thu Bon River was an important trading hub for goods from China, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia. The river was also the site of several important battles during the wars between the Cham and the Vietnamese dynasties. In the 17th century, the Thu Bon River became an important center of the Vietnamese silk industry.

The river's fertile floodplain provided ideal conditions for growing mulberry trees, the leaves of which were used to feed silkworms. The silk produced in the region was highly prized and exported throughout Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, the Thu Bon River was an important transportation route for both the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong. The river was also the site of several major battles, including the Battle of Hoi An, which took place in August 1972.

The Old Town of Hoi An is like a magnet; I get drawn to the markets, quaint shops and restaurants, the walking street, bright lanterns and the Japanese Bridge. With the weather being hot and humid, business looked dull. After wandering a while I got back to the Hoang Cam Go restaurant for a couple of bottles of chilled Bia Saigon beer. I ordered a portion of Cau Lau, the Hoi An speciality. It typically consists of pork and greens on a bed of rice noodles which is made from rice that has been soaked in lye water, which gives it a very unique taste.