My Son

My Son (pronounced more like "sone") is known as the Angkor Wat of Vietnam. It is a complex of Hindu temple towers honoring many different Hindi deities, priests, plants and animals. It was built by the Champa people continuously from the 4th or 5th through the 13th centuries - when the Champa people were "dislocated" by Buddists. All the temple towers are built from brick - but no motar was used! Evidently this is a building technique uniqueto the Champa. Like Hoi An, My Son was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999.

It was a painfully bumpy 1+ hour motorbike ride from the point where this pic was taken to My Son which is located in the background mountains. Those are rice paddies in the foreground - it's rice harvest season.




This is a pic of the girlfriend I made on the way to My Son. Note that I'm standing in ankle deep muck in a rice paddy. Ver friendly and nice female water buffalo that liked having its muddy ears itched - I obliged her.




This is the classic pic one most often sees in My Son brochures. Once you arrive in the temple area - you must walk just about 1 mile to the actual temple area - which was surprisingle small - perhaps 2 or 3 acres. Note that I arrived at the site at 7;30AM - luckily well ahead of the busloads of tourist who quickly crowd the entire temple area !


This is the tallest complex temple. Very strange-looking while at the same time amazing brick work. Btw - the entire site itself and the topography surrounding it was awe inspiring - truely a spiritual locale - no wonder the Champa selected it as a builing site and still.consider it the holiest place in Vietnan.


This is by far the largest structure in the complex and it's assumed it was the first built here. Too bad most of the sculptures we destryed bc there must have many of them judging by the many empty pedastals.







This is the central area of the temple tower complex. Only location in complex where you are surrounded by temple towers.



Albeit a lesser temple tower - it was still very impressive!

This appeared to be the most restored tower temple. It was interesting to note that the restorers DID use mortar in the restoration!


Bottom line = although the complex has major sections yet to be restored and opened to the public - Machu Pichu and Angkor Wat had better watch their backs - even if the temp and humidy both hit 100 at My Son! It is indeed a spiritual place.