If you are going to visit Hoi An, I recommend adding an extra day to visit My Son Shrine. (The visit lasts half a day and is very interesting).
The Sanctuary is a set of Hindu temples abandoned for more than 500 years, they are quite in ruins, but they have a special charm and beauty.
The temples were built by the Champa civilization between the 4th century and the 14th century, that is, it was an eminently religious sanctuary and to demonstrate power for a thousand years, being one of the longest lasting in the entire Southeast, if not the longest.
In this post I talk about how to visit the My Son Sanctuary, what to see, where it is and some information you need to know.
MY SON SANCTUARY, IN HOI AN
How to visit My Son Sanctuary
The best way to visit the sanctuary is with a guided tour that includes transportation and a guide. They pick you up at your hotel, take you to the sanctuary, you take a tour with the guide learning more about the history of the Sanctuary, they will leave you free time, you can also have a drink while you watch a traditional dance show and they take you back to your hotel .
In our case, they offered to take us to the center of the ancient city of Hoi An by boat, without paying anything extra. bonus experience!
The activity lasts about 5 hours and costs less than 20 euros per person.
What to see in the My Son Sanctuary
There is an archaeological study where it is indicated that there are more than 70 temples, stelae and other constructions. The entire enclosure was abandoned for many years and today there are hardly any whole temples or signs left.
The sanctuary is surrounded by a valley with mountains on both sides, lots of vegetation and several temples that you can visit both inside and out.
My Son has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Because of its architecture, My Son is often compared with some temples from the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia.
The construction of 70 temples over a thousand years on a specific site is not accidental, the My Son sanctuary was a religious and cultural center of the Champa Kingdom, which dominated Cambodia and the center of what is now Vietnam for many centuries. Most of the temples are dedicated to Shiva.
In the "restored" enclosure and that you will be able to visit you will find 10 types of constructions. Cataloged with the letter A, B, C and D in front and followed by a number.
The 4 most predominant styles are:
Kalan: It is a tower-shaped brick shrine, very much in keeping with Mount Meru of Hinduism.
Mandapa: is a vestibule adjoining a shrine.
Kosagrha: it is the house of fire, which was where they cooked for the gods.
Gopura: is a gate-tower that leads to a walled complex.
Where is the My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is located more or less 69 km from Da Nang city and about 40 km from Hoi An. And you can visit the sanctuary from both with organized excursions:
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I hope you enjoy your trip to Vietnam very much and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!
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