My Son Sanctuary - UNESCO Site

An absolute NOT TO BE MISSED experience we had while in Hoi An, was taking a private half-day tour of the My Son Sanctuary. Built by the Champa people (a culture which occupied the land currently known as Vietnam) between the 4th and 14th centuries, the site is truly breathtaking. Unlike the Vietnamese who are largely Buddhist, the Champa people were Hindu and used an entirely different alphabet.

Much to our advantage, we booked an early morning private tour and were some of the very first people to arrive at the park, around 8:30 am. This was ideal in the aspect of not only being able to take better photographs but also provided a lovely stillness in which to experience it.

Sadly, the site was heavily damaged due to American bombs during the war, and given several factors, the restoration work has proved to be extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible. This site is yet another painful mark left on the country and a terrible loss to world history.

After we had completed our tour of the sanctuary, our guide took us to a tiny little village where we had lunch before setting out via boat, to visit a village known for making pottery.

Probably the most interesting temple we visited, was also located in this pottery village, as it contained a hidden artifact from the 6th century! A tree growing directly out front of the temple has grown around a statue of Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god, which as I mentioned earlier, was part of the Champa culture during the 6th century. BAM, history.

We also got the opportunity to try our hands at manipulating clay on a wheel, the whole experience was great.

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