It was September and time to pick up my Vietnam journey which I started in January and this time travel from Central Vietnam to the North. I reached Da Nang visited my favorite spots. This time I was planning to cover My Son which is a world heritage site and 42 Kms from Da Nang. I joined a group tour in the morning and 1 hour 40 minutes later, we reached the location at around 9 AM. We spent around 4 hours and drove back at 1 PM just as the sun was getting unbearable.
My Son Site
My Son was a religious center and royal burial site for the Champa kings and nobles. It is primarily a Shaiva Hindu temple complex and probably the longest inhabited archaeological site in Mainland Southeast Asia. The complex consists of a cluster of Hindu temples and towers built between the 4th and 14th centuries. The temple designs, sculptures, and inscriptions are in Sanskrit and Cham languages. The site is located in a valley about 2 kilometers wide surrounded by mountains. The complex originally had over 70 structures, but only about 20 remain today, arranged in groups around a central sanctuary. The structures are dilapidated and not in good condition due to natural decay and damage during the Vietnam war. A large majority of its architecture was destroyed by US bombing during a single week of the Vietnam War.
The temples have sandstone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu deities (especially Shiva), mythical creatures, apsara dancers, floral and geometric motifs, and scenes from Hindu mythology.
After we reached the location, we were taken to an Apsara dance performance by the local Chams. After that we went around the ruins.
Cham Bricks and Mortars
The temples are constructed mainly from red bricks and sandstone, assembled without mortar. Cham bricks are lighter than typical modern bricks. Despite being fired at lower temperatures and thus softer, these bricks have high compressive strength and bearing capacity. They are highly water-resistant and drain water faster than modern bricks, which helps prevent moss and mold growth, contributing to their remarkable preservation over centuries. Modern bricks tend to be denser, less porous, and harder due to higher firing temperatures.
The Cham bricks were glued together using a special technique, possibly involving natural tree resin or a clay-based sticky mortar chemically similar to the bricks themselves. Modern bricks use cement-based mortars that create a rigid, impermeable bond, unlike the more porous and flexible bonding of ancient bricks.
Preservation of the Site
There is reconstruction activity in the site, some with help from the Indian Government. The consolidation/reinforcement method of restoration involves technical solutions to halt the degradation process and enhance the load-bearing capacity of the structures. In some places this method is being used using new bricks. The challenge is to find the appropriate bricks and techniques. The porous bricks absorb water, but they release moisture when exposed to the sun, eliminating the moss. In contrast, modern bricks used in restoration become blackened, develop moss and mold growth, or get discolored due to salt crystallization after a while. Also cement-based mortars which are being used in some places doesn’t look aesthetically good.
The other method of restoration called anastylosis method which is widely being used today at My Son repositions the original parts and components of the sites that have been displaced due to destruction. This method aims to restore with minimal intervention and not completely rebuild the structures to its original form to respect the history.
