Thap Bang An - The Hidden Cham Tower
When you mention the Cham, or Champa, people in the Da Nang area, everyone automatically thinks of either the Cham Museum, or the ancient city of My Son. However, these are not the only Cham relics to be found in the area. Situated about 30 minutes south of the city, in the tiny town of Dien An, along the Thu Bon River, there remains a single solitary Cham tower, the only standing tower where there used to be three. This quiet, out of the way makes a great short destination from the city, or a stop whilst on a longer adventure.
The tower is not exactly a perfect replication; much like My Son, the reconstruction methods used by both the French teams in the early 20th century, and the local teams in the early 21st century, have been of their own style and there is debate on how "authentic" it has been. This is especially visible here, where the entry way, which used to open on three sides, now only opens on one side. The door frames flanking the entrance have been filled in along the bottom, turning them into windows. Likewise, inside the tower itself, you can see the different styles of brickwork being used, both original and modern.
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There is a single linga inside the temple, and it is still an active prayer shrine for people in the area. There is a table set up next to the linga, with a makeshit shrine on top of it, and there has always been an active incense burning every time I have been here. It costs 10,000 vnd to get in, and the entrance is at the coffeeshop on the northwest corner of the property. There are two damaged statues out front, and one tablet with print that has been set on a new stone pedestal. The grounds are set in the middle of rice paddies, between two small towns, and it is quiet and peaceful and a great place to kill 15 to 20 minutes.
To get here, get on Highway 1A. If you are on the East Side, consider taking Le Van Hien [the Old Hoi An Road] and turning on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and cutting across to the 1A. If you are on the city side, it's best to take Nguyen Huu Tho to Cach Mang Thang 8 and then across to the highway. Either way, from the intersection of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and the 1A, go just under 9 km south. Stay right at the big highway split. At 8.8 km, turn right and follow the small road to the right for less than 2 km, and the tower will be on your left. If you do visit, please show respect and try to be fairly quiet and polite. It's a nice little sanctuary and it'd be nice to see it stay that way! Thanks for reading.
All photos copyright Kit Davidson.