Ruins in the Jungle
History has long been a passion of mine, and the study of ancient cultures and their rise and falls is something that I enjoy. Learning how the ties of people and land flow through the generations, moving and changing and responding to influences and conflicts and interaction. Modern humans have been living on this planet for over 100,000 years and just about anywhere you go you can see some sort of history.
Vietnam's cultures and history can be traced all the way back to at least 9,000 BC, which is the earliest archaeological evidence that has been found thus far, and has been called the Sa Huynh Culture. Later than that and we get into the era of feudal dynasties and clan warfare, and then finally into the great Lords, including the Trinh, Tran, Le, and Nguyen. Running parallel to this in the central and south-central part of Vietnam from about 600 AD until the late 1400's was an assemblage of empires and kingdoms that together were known as the Cham, or Champa.
Vietnam's cultures and history can be traced all the way back to at least 9,000 BC, which is the earliest archaeological evidence that has been found thus far, and has been called the Sa Huynh Culture. Later than that and we get into the era of feudal dynasties and clan warfare, and then finally into the great Lords, including the Trinh, Tran, Le, and Nguyen. Running parallel to this in the central and south-central part of Vietnam from about 600 AD until the late 1400's was an assemblage of empires and kingdoms that together were known as the Cham, or Champa.
Though the Cham were all eventually either slaughtered or absorbed by modern Vietnamese populations, they left their mark on the history of Vietnam by erecting many tall, stone towers to use as central points of focus in their various holdings. Numerous sites exist from Binh Thuan in the south all the way up to Hue, with towers and monuments large and small. The patterns are similar, although various temples and sites have slightly different architecture that represents different periods of Cham history, but there are a couple of sites that stand out among the group. One of these is My Son, the ancient capital of the Amaravati kingdom.
Located about an hour's drive from Hoi An, Vietnam, and just over an hour from Da Nang, the ruins of the city have seen hard times due to war, age, and the jungle. However, several groups of temples still remain, some have been restored, and some are still being restored. The site sits in between two mountain peaks, in a sheltered and protected valley. The greenery is lush and thick, and it has a very powerful feel to it. It's no wonder they built their stronghold here. Broken into seven groups, the My Son ruins complex fell victim to heavy bombing during the US-American War, and I can say I am quite angry with my country for willfully choosing to destroy something that was of such historical value. Moving on. A few of the groups, most notably the A and B groups, have been restored somewhat, and although there is some debate as to whether or not the style and architecture that was used in the restoration process was "authentic" or not, they still look pretty good.
Some of the other groups are in the process of restoration and it will be nice to watch over the years as this site regains more and more of it's former glory.
All photos copyright Kit Davidson unless otherwise noted.