Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.
My Son tower-temple complex is situated in a mountain valley in the west of Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province. There is a stream flowing across the complex, which joins the Thu Bon River, not far from Hoi An Ancient Town.
The diversity of architecture is recognised as a unique site in Southeast Asia and exists in relation to local cultural factors. Due to the impact of time, the tower-temple complex became degraded. Therefore, painstaking restoration was done on the remaining structures, so their integrity has been well preserved.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site includes over 70 structures and extensive buried archaeology. The temples differ in structural style, reflecting the various eras of the Cham Kingdom over a period of 10 centuries. These abandoned and partly ruined structures are a popular tourist attraction for photographers, and people interested in ancient civilizations and their spiritual architecture.