My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary locates in a valley in the mountain, 45 km from Hoi An Ancient Town, and nearly 70 kilometers from Da Nang City.

The holy land appears with an architectural complex of many Champa temples and towers. The unique buildings stay in a lovely valley, most of them have the age from the 7th to 13th century.

Forgotten for a long time up to centuries, My Son Sanctuary had not been discovered until 1885. And UNESCO selected this place as a world heritage site in 1999 as the vital proof of Asian civilization that has disappeared.

If you are a tourist who loves to explore and learn about ancient cultures and architecture, this is a place worth visiting.

>> Please a private tour to visit My Son and Hoi An from Da Nang here!

Best time to visit My Son Sanctuary

Most guests come to visit the temples in My Son in the morning. So, you will see a lot of people there from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

In the late afternoon, after 3:00 pm, My Son has less of the guests, giving you a quiet time to take pictures of the ancient architectural buildings.

Typically, a few tour companies organize the sunrise tour in the early morning or sunset tour to help you escape from the crowded. 

If you can get up early, a sunrise tour to explore the mysterious My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An at 5:30 am on dry days is worth to do.

Travel from Hoi An to My Son

Traveling from Hoi An to My Son to discover the most mysterious Holy Land in Vietnam, you can easily move there by any motorbike, bus, or private car.

A private car

The popular route from Hoi An Old Town to My Son Sanctuary (following Highway 1A) is about 45km and takes you one hour 15 minutes to drive by car.

You follow Hung Vuong Street (Hoi An), turn left along National Highway 1A to run around 8 km until seeing the Duy Xuyen Post Office, and turn right into Hung Vuong Street (belonging to Duy Xuyen District).

Continue running around 18 km on Hung Vuong Street, and turn left into DT 610 road to the My Son Sanctuary.

Motorbike

With the above route, you can travel by motorbike, estimated time also the same as using a private car 1 hour 15 minutes. You can find motorbike rental from 200,000 VND/day at many shops or small hotels.

However, you need about 20 – 30 minutes more to go from the parking there to the main areas of the temples.

Bus

If you think about using a bus, here is the information. There are no public buses from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary. But, you can use a tourist bus that using for backpackers. That means that you have to follow to touring time of the local agents.

So, using a bus is not recommended for deluxe travel or family holidays while a private car or van also offers a very affordable price, but convenient for your group. 

Bicycle

If you want to do the tour to My Son from Hoi An by bicycle, you need to notice the distance of 45 km/way. We recommend experiencing this transportation when you are a professional biker. For amateur cycler, a bicycle tour around Hoi An countryside is enough to enjoy the cycling exercise.

What to see in My Son Sanctuary

Ancient temples and towers

My Son Sanctuary dates back to the fourth century when King Bhadresvara of Champa Kingdom built the first temple dedicated to King Bhadravarman, who was the founding king of the first Amaravati region at the end of the fourth century.

Many researchers found most temples from the 4th to 7th centuries were constructed with wood and almost destroyed. So, at present, the My Son region consists of ancient buildings from the 17th to 13th centuries.

The prominent highlight of the ancient Champa buildings is the brick frames seem to remain intact, such as the Siva statue, stone stele, mascots, and old clay bricks.

My Son Holy Land has 70 buildings divided into 6 major groups, which are easier to visit and research: A, B, C, D, E and G.

• Area A: This group can be considered at the guardian temple. From here, you can observe areas C and D. The main temple of A is in the process of restoration, which is worth exploring.
• Area B: This will be the west hill where one major temple and three auxiliary towers gather.
• Area E: The temples were almost destroyed, but this group gets the ancient color of time for beautiful photos.
• Area G: This group has just been restored, locating between groups B and E.
• Area C and D: This group stays in the southern valley, which is the most prominent area in My Son Sanctuary with many diverse and rich inscriptions, temples, reliefs, and sculptures. In these groups has the main temple, called Kalan, with a door to the east and a large Linga – Yoni inside (now only a stone Yoni pedestal).

Tip: You can explore this area in an opposite way from C – D – B – G – E and A. In this way, you can come to the theatre of Cham dance first.

Cham traditional performance

Cham dance is a recent activity that tourists can see the traditional dance, drum, and flute at the small theatre in the area of My Son Holy Land.

Cham dance opens three shows per day, with 15 minutes long for each. Although the performances are short, it is worth to spend your time there.

Cham dance is gentle and unique, with the ritual series of steps towards the gods worshipped in the temples.

You will see the Cham girls who often wear candles, water, flowers, betel, and areca to celebrate, look lively.

Also, the Apsara dance is the enchanting dance created from the statues of Apsara carvings on the temples and towers. The smooth and gentle beauty and the appealing curves that nature has bestowed on the dancers easily to enchant the audiences when coming to My Son.

The images of girls with curvy arms, full breasts, charming curves in sparkling costumes dance in the sound of the Paranut drum and Sarainai flute. The divine dance can make you get drunk wrecked. 

In addition, the flute and other dances are also fanciable. All of them are waiting for your exploration.

The architecture of temples in My Son Holy Land

The relics of My Son carry lots of sculptural architectural styles typical for each historical period of the Champa kingdom.

Architectural styles here are divided into 6 categories: ancient style, Hoa Lai, Dong Duong, My Son, Po Nagar, and the style of Binh Dinh people.

In general, most of the architectural works and sculptures in My Son are influenced by Hinduism. The carving technique on the brick of the Cham people rarely appears in arts in other areas.

Most temples have pyramidal tops, the symbol of the holy Mount Meru, the residence of Hindu gods. The gate of the old buildings usually turns to the east to receive sunlight.

The outside walls of temples are often decorated with S-shaped leaves. Besides, the decorations are sandstone sculptures of Makara (the mythical beast with sharp fangs and long hose), Apsara dancer, lion, elephant, Garuda bird, and the statures of prayers.

All the motifs and statues are skillful to stick together and with the walls. And up to now, no researching works can determine the adhesive completely and the way to connect these details.

The highlight of the Cham sculpture art is to show the intense vitality of the people with the multiple emotions inside, at the moment of joyful feelings, at times of calmness, and anxiety.

From the 7th to 13th centuries, each historical period has its own mark with a distinct architectural style, which you can find on the external decorations and materials on the ancient buildings in My Son Holy Land.

My Son Sanctuary shows not only the remarkable masterpiece of Champa architecture but also the culture of Southeast Asia.

Frequently asked questions about My Son Sanctuary

Can I pray in My Son Sanctuary?

No, you cannot. Although this site owns the famous ancient temples, it does not support activities such as worshiping, praying everywhere here, just for visiting.

How long can I visit My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An?

To explore My Son Holy Land from Hoi An Ancient Town, it takes you 4 – 5 hours; in which, you need to spend 1 hour to 2 hours to discover most of My Son temples.

What does the purpose of building the temples in My Son?

My Son is the Hindu mecca of the Kingdom of Champa. Each king, after ascending the throne, went to My Son Holy Land to do a baptism ceremony, gave offerings, and built temples.

Besides the function of rituals that helped the kings to approach the gods, My Son Sanctuary became the cultural and religious center of the Champa dynasties and the burial place of kings and powerful monks.

Who discovered My Son Sanctuary after many centuries lost?

In 1885, My Son relic was discovered by a group of French soldiers.

In 1898 – 1899, two researchers from France, L.Finot and L.de Lajonquière, and architect and archaeologist H. Parmentier went to My Son to study the epitaph and art of architecture and sculpture of the Cham people.

But, until the years 1903-1904, L.Finot officially announced the most basic documents about the inscription and the architectural art of My Son.

How long had My Son Sanctuary developed?

My Son Sanctuary is the only place of Cham art with a continuous development from the 7th to the 13th century.

In the early 7th century, King Sambhuvarman built the temple with very stable materials, which still exists today. The later kings were remodeling the old temples and building new temples to offer them to their gods.

Which was the major worshipping object in My Son Sanctuary?

The main temples in My Son Sanctuary worshipped a couple of Linga and Yony that is an image of Siva – the protector of the Champa kings.

The prominent god worshiped in My Son is Bhadrésvara, who founded the first kingdom of the Amaravati region in the late 4th century, in association with the Shiva god, becoming the god-king.

---

Conclusion

My Son Sanctuary both preserves ancient vestiges of culture and contains unique historical, architectural, and artistic values.

Time and wars have devastated these monuments. But what remains here is still the mystical beauty. The typical architecture of the Champa people has attracted the curiosity of domestic and foreign tourists coming here to visit.

Although Vietnamdrive tries to give you the most updated information about My Son Sanctuary, lots of mysterious attractions live there, waiting for your exploration.

If you travel to Hoi An Ancient Town or Da Nang City, My Son Holy Land will be an ideal place for your journey in Central Vietnam.