| Page Views: 802 Last Visit to My Son (2): October, 2003 | Mystic My Son by tampa_shawn - last update: Dec 10, 2003 |
My Son is the former burial site of Cham Kings and was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000. Some call it the Akor Wat of Vietnam, and while I don’t think My Son can rival Akor Wat I do believe it deserves a visit. My Son is the most important known site of the ancient kingdom of Champa.
Its stone towers and sanctuaries were erected from the seventh and thirteenth centuries.
My Son can easily be reached by tour bus or private car from Da Nag or Hoi Ann. I would recommend getting up and visiting the ruins before the heat of the day and the other tourist reach the site. We left our hotel in Hoi Ann at 5 AM Without hordes of tourist the site has an almost magical quality.
My Son is located in Central Vietnam and was quite close to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) of the 1960s and 1970s. Its stone buildings received extensive damage during the Tet Offensive. We were told the VC were using its structures to launch attacks into the surrounding areas so the stone buildings were bombed and therefore received significant damage.
These structures were left largely unchanged and unprotected until 2000 when UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Efforts are now underway to preserve and protect the site. The site still largely in a Natural Site with long grasses and jungle growth around the ruins…giving it a mystic quality.
Since this area is so close to the former DMZ land mines may still be in the area so please stay on well traveled paths. |
|  | The twiglight was just dawning…and dew was still on the ground as we loaded into what was obviously a Former US Army Jeep (imagine the Jeeps seen in the TV series MASH)… with a recent coat of army green paint. Even our new guide was in an Vietnamese Army Green Uniform……here we are only a few miles from the former DMZ in a surrendered US Army Jeep heading to visit an ancient site that had been largely destroyed by the Vietnam War….I found the whole very ironic and almost exploded in laughter as our guide (who had a wonderful singing voice by the way) began to serenade us with Vietnamese Patriotic Songs about the Vietnamese idol Ho Chi Mihn during our short drive to the ruins. The entire scene took on an almost unreal feel to it.
In the early morning light the site of My Son was breath taking and much to my surprise I was left to myself to explore the grounds humming the hymn of a song that I didn’t know the words.%
- from a letter I wrote home |
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tampa_shawn's My Son (2) Travel Tips
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 Comments for tampa_shawn about My Son (2) | | | | |
umashanker Sat Nov 5, 2005 09:02 UTC
Your My Son page is the testament of Cham Rulers glory and taste of grand construction.It is sad to know that these momuments too came under VC attacks. | Waxbag Wed Dec 24, 2003 15:52 UTC
This is a really nice page. You write very well and your pictures are very vivid and expressive. My Son is one of my favorite places in Vietnam. Well done! |
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