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A
fter My Son Sanctuary in
Quang Nam province was
recognised as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, the an-
cient Cham culture became more well-
known. The civilisation had a major in-
fluence on Southeast Asia, especially
Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietnam boasts
many age-old Cham relics in central
coastal provinces that have both Hindu
and Islamic influences.
For years I had wanted to visit
these places but a lack of time and
money prevented me from doing so.
I finally found a more practical way of
discovering the ancient civilisation, by
visiting the Museum of Cham Sculpture
in Danang. This is a stop to take before
visiting actual Cham relics, as it gives an
overview on the culture and beliefs of
the kingdom.
The museum opened in 1919 but
many Cham sculptures collected in
Danang, Quang Nam and other sites
have been added since. The collection
was begun by French archeologists
from L’École Francaise d’Extrême Ori-
ent (EFEO). Some artefacts were sent
to museums in Paris, Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City, but the largest collection
remains in Danang.
Regarded as one of the most beau-
tiful in Southeast Asia, the museum has
a collection of nearly 2,000 large and
small sculptures. Of these, 300 are on
display inside the museum, 187 are
in the garden and thousands are pre-
served in the storehouse. The artefacts
are largely sandstone and terra cotta,
although a few bronzes are also on
show. There is also a collection of cloth-
ing, photographs and films.
The sandstone sections are the
most important and include pedestals,
statues of gods, holy animals and other
symbols from Cham temples and wor-
ship sites. The gods can be identified
with reference to Indian mythology.
The pieces are identified according to
where they were found or excavated or
the form or function of the object.
Artefacts from most Cham towers
in the central provinces can be found
here. We can find objects from My Son,
the first capital of the Champa King-
dom in Quang Nam. Also on display
are artefacts from the Chanh Lo Tower
in Quang Ngai province and the Mam
tower in Binh Dinh province.
The museum’s layout helps visitors
gain an understanding of the genesis of
The Museum of Cham
Sculpture in Danang of-
fers a chance to explore
the precious cultural
heritage the ancient
Champa civilisation,
writes
Que Chi
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