How to Visit My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam – A Glimpse of Vietnam’s Ancient Past
If you want to get a peek at Vietnam’s ancient past, look no further than My Son. It is a collection of ruins located in Quang Nam Province, which is part of the central region of the country. My Son is over 1,500 years old. The ruins, which are of Hindu origin, were once used as temples of worship to Hindu deities such as Shiva by the Champa civilisation that lived in the region from the 2nd century up until the 19th century. Read on for some useful tips to help plan your trip to My Son.
If you’d prefer to have the ruins mostly to yourself, then it is best to schedule your itinerary in a way that your visit falls during the afternoon. However, if you prefer to be one among many, then make your way there early in the morning. Of course, the afternoons tend to be hotter than the early mornings, so there is that to consider as well. One of the most popular times for tourists to visit the ruins is during the sunrise. As a result, there are many sunrise tours advertised by local tour guides and agencies.
How to Get There?
My Son is situated in the central part of Vietnam in the Quang Nam Province. Most visitors to Vietnam tend to visit My Son by renting a vehicle or taking a tour bus and making a day trip from other more popular cities in the province such as Hoi An. If you are travelling from Hoi An, it should take you around an hour to get there. However, if you plan to be based in another province for most of your trip, note that a day trip might not be feasible. For example, as there are several things to do in Quy Nhon, many visitors to the country choose to stay at a resort in this region. However, from a place like this, your travel time to My Son would surge for up to 5 hours. So, you would be better off booking a stay in a nearby city such as Hoi An for a night so that you can explore the ruins. You can discover various hotel offers when you refer to online sources such as Quy Nhon Coastal Escape.
What Can You See There?
The ruins are a testament to the ancient Champa civilisation that lived on the lands for well over 1,500 years. Spanning a history that lasted from the 2nd century all the way up until the 19th century, this civilisation played a pivotal role in shaping modern-day Vietnam. The Champa people mainly practised Hinduism. Therefore, the My Son ruins were built as places of worship for Hindu deities such as Shiva. In addition to using them as temples to pray to Hindu gods, the structures were also used as a final resting place for some of the Champa royalty.
Originally, there were around 71 separate structures; however, over time and with the Vietnam War, several of these structures were lost. Today, when you visit the ruins, you will see that less than 20 of them remain today. The first of the structures were built in the 4th century. At that time, the temples were constructed out of wood. However, since the wooden structures were not all that durable, and susceptible to destruction by fire, the successive Champa Kings decided to switch to using bricks as the temples’ construction material. If you are interested in seeing expressions of the Hindu culture outside of India, this attraction is a must-see. My Son is considered to be among some of the most important remnants of Hindu architecture outside of India.
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