The My Son Cham towers, a large and sophisticated temple structure, was
built between the 4th and the 15th century and is the ideal destination
for local and foreign tourists to discover the ancient Cham culture.
The holy land in the central province of Quang Nam has attracted many tourists and has caught the attention of the Vietnamese Government and international organizations, especially after the complex was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in December 1999.
Here the Champa people worshipped their Hindu deities in elaborately carved temples. Visitors can feel the power behind a civilization that is represented by ruins and the most extensive group of still-standing temples with an inner sanctuary to Shiva.
Notably, Cham towers here are located on bare hills, either alone or in groups. The walls are layers of unglued bricks that are still bright red though many centuries old. The towers were made by heating layers of unbaked bricks with firewood. On the outside there are inscriptions and carvings with some hollow human statues. Most Cham towers also carry depiction of the lingam (male sexual organ) ? the totem of Brahmanism.
Cham towers are never surrounded with trees because the Cham custom dictates that trees could not be planted near homes. They feared that ghosts and devils would haunt and dwell in the trees and their ancestors would thus be afraid to frequent their homes.
