My Son was a political and spiritual center for the Champa empire, which lasted from 500 AD to about 1500 AD. The empire spanned the area now including north Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and southern Vietnam. My Son is in a valley surrounded by mountains, including a mountain sacred to the Chams. The structures started as wood around the year 500 AD, but then they switched to brick and mortar about 700 AD. The building remaining now once functioned as Hindu shrines (the Chams were Hindus, not Buddhists). The area and the buildings were heavily damaged by bombs during the American war (see the bottom photo). My Son is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
My VIETNAM HOME PAGE - Vietnam Index of Sites
BACK to David Gualtieri's MAIN International Travel HOME PAGE