In August 1969, the American B-52 bombing crushed the Sanctuary of My Son in Vietnam in order to knock out the Viet Cong unit, using the area for training. Vietcong believed that the United States would not bomb the sacred and historical site. They felt safe in this natural protected area, located on a two-mile-wide valley between two mountain ranges and fed by the Tew Bon River. The valley seemed like the perfect place to study and relax. They were right in the valley, but they were wrong about the Americans. The Americans bombed the area for a week, until various religious leaders begged them to stop. Only 17 of the 71 original structures, reopened by the French archaeologist MC Paris in 1898, were saved.
My son, which means "beautiful mountain" in Vietnamese, is a cemetery of Hindu temples from the 4th to the 14th century near the village of Dui-Fu, built by the Chumpa dynasties and built in conjunction with the cities of Indrapur and Simhapur. The cities today are known by the Vietnamese names Dong Durong and Tra Kieu. Mu Son is the longest inhabited archaeological site in Indochina. In 1899, Henry Parmentier and M.L. Fino made an extensive documentary work in which various objects were noted, a grouping of temples, sketches and photographing of various buildings, while working, which, according to the French, is incredible heat and humidity. Difficulties were built in honor of such Hindu gods as Krishna, Vishnu, and especially Shiva.
For centuries, Champa largely ruled Vietnam. Their center of power was in Dong-Durong, next to My Son. Sometimes Viet defeated them and pushed them out of the area. They moved further south, but could not survive as a cohesive group.
Thirty-two steles (large stones and plates with inscriptions) have survived in this area. The inscriptions document the various kings, as well as gifts of land and treasure for groups in the area. They also talk about different gods. Some of Steles’s more interesting documents document historical events, including the wars with Cambodia in the 12th century.
Most visitors today come from Da Nang or Hoi An on organized tours. Routes pass through the roadside cafe. Some tourist buses stop at restaurants with higher prices because they get a commission. The biggest tours do not bother and do not hide right before My Son, where you can order snacks and drinks next to the souvenir shop. The nearest hotel is about a mile from the entrance.
The sunrise tour leaves for Hoi An around 5:30 am This tour arrives around 6:30 am to a crowd of regular tourists arriving at 8:30 or later.
Next to the cashier there is the Champ Museum, and the other is inside the complex. The best museum of Shampa is located in Da Nang and is worth a visit. Tours can be organized in almost any hotel, guest house or travel agency in nearby cities, including Hoi An, Danang and Hue. Return trips from My Son to Hoi An often include a one-hour boat ride back to the city.
Electric trams lead visitors from the entrance to the ruins about a mile from the hotel. The path through the sites is securely located and easily passes under the canopy of rich green foliage. The souvenir shop offers a variety of interesting products, including reproductions of the dance “Shiva”.
On the stage near the gift shop, dancers offer a program as part of the tour. Just the costumes offer a wonderful site, despite the authenticity of the dances suspected, having some original information from which to draw. Despite this, performances offer a pleasant response in the shadows and are a unique pleasure.
Near the ruins is a beautiful lake. Until now, the lake has mostly not been discovered. It will not last long. Several tours, such as Karma Waters, offer hiking in the area and kayaking on the lake. Discover a secluded area, and tourists will come. Such is the dilemma caused by tourism.
