Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary Ancient Town

My Son Sanctuary – World Heritage recognized by UNESCO (Photo: Collected)

My Son Sanctuary is hidden deep in a valley surrounded by mountains. In ancient times, this place was used for worship as well as the tombs of ancient Champa kings.

1. Where is My Son Sanctuary? My Son Sanctuary ticket price

• Address: Duy Phu, Duy Xuyen, Quang Nam.
• Reference ticket price to My Son Sanctuary: Foreigners: 150,000 VND; Vietnamese: 100,000 VND.
• Reference opening hours: 6:00 – 17:00 from Monday – Sunday.

Where is My Son Sanctuary? My Son Sanctuary is a heritage complex with ancient Cham architecture in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province . This area has a diameter of about 2km with more than 70 different temples and towers with many historical architectural features typical of each development stage of ancient Champa.

The My Son Sanctuary dates back to around the 4th century under the reign of King Pham Ho Dat, and was used to worship the gods Linga and Shiva. Two centuries later, the temple was burned down in a major fire. And in the 7th century, King Pham Phan Chi rebuilt the temples – relics that still exist today. 

My Son Sanctuary is an extremely hot check-in spot for young people (Photo source: Collected)

2. What attracts tourists to My Son Sanctuary?

The architecture of My Son Sanctuary with its unique, sophisticated design, bearing strong imprints, is divided into 6 typical types: ancient style, Hoa Lai, My Son, Ponagar, Dong Duong and the style of Binh Dinh people. When traveling to My Son Sanctuary, visitors will see the characteristics of this type of architecture such as stone carvings, statues of the god Siva, and statues of dancers dancing in the Cham Pa style. 

Over time, the relic site was also partly destroyed by the bombing of the US military in Vietnam. However, there are still many intact towers with unique architecture that attract tourists.

Panoramic view of My Son Sanctuary (Photo source: Collected)

2.1. Explore the panoramic view of My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary with more than 70 temples carved elaborately and meticulously with many important inscriptions in Sanskrit and Cham. This relic was forgotten until 1898, a Frenchman and his colleagues discovered the relic hidden in the forest, in the heart of the surrounding valley protected by 2 majestic mountains.

In addition, another special impression that makes My Son Sanctuary famous is the bricks used to build the ancient towers. The bricks were fired and cut into blocks, then stacked skillfully without using any adhesives. Over the centuries, the My Son Sanctuary has not weathered but only has a very small crack.

Many towers at My Son Sanctuary are still intact (Photo source: Collected)

2.2. Experience the unique 8m wide ancient road

This is the ancient road leading to the My Son Sanctuary, discovered by an Indian expert during the restoration of the central towers in the core of the heritage site. The ancient road is 8m wide, with two parallel walls, 1m deep buried in the ground. 

According to historical documents, this is the road leading straight to the center of the heritage, where there is a large gate tower used for worshiping that only kings and royal family members, and noble dignitaries of ancient Champa were allowed to enter. The wall system on both sides of the road is delicately and skillfully carved. This important discovery has contributed to increasing the long-standing historical values ​​that the My Son holy land heritage brings.

Many international visitors come to visit the World Cultural Heritage My Son Sanctuary (Photo source: Collected)

2.3. Enjoy the enchanting Apsara dance

What is interesting about My Son Sanctuary? Here there is an Apsara dance inspired by the sandstone statues carved with Apsara. This is considered a smooth, graceful dance with the title “Soul of Stone” to honor the graceful curves of women.

This dance is currently performed in important art programs of Quang Nam province as well as for tourist groups visiting My Son Sanctuary. You will feel like you are lost in the ancient land of Champa with the image of girls with long slender fingers, full breasts and seductive curves in sparkling, colorful costumes combined with the sound of Paranung drums and Saranai flutes, making visitors even more captivated.

Traditional Apsara dance attracts tourists (Photo source: Collected)

2.4. Immerse yourself in the traditional Kate festival of the Cham people

Kate Festival is one of the important festivals of the Cham people, usually taking place in July every year according to the Cham calendar. If your travel schedule coincides with the Kate Festival, not only will you be able to visit the unique heritage, you will also be able to join in the rituals of praying for peace, carrying palanquins in ceremonial costumes and Kate, carrying water, etc. At the festival, there will be many unique performances combined with traditional props and graceful dances of the artists that will make it difficult for you to take your eyes off. 

Traditional Kate Festival of the Cham people (Photo source: Collected)

2.5. Treat your taste buds with the specialties of My Son Sanctuary

2.5.1. Grilled veal dish at Cau Mong

Cau Mong grilled veal is one of the most famous delicious dishes you must try when visiting My Son Sanctuary. The veal is selected from young grass-fed calves, weighing about 30kg or less, grilled on a charcoal stove to keep the sweetness of the meat and the crispness of the skin. It is then thinly sliced, served with dipping sauce and raw vegetables.

The dipping sauce for this Cau Mong roasted veal dish is also one of the factors that make the dish delicious. The ingredients of the dipping sauce include lemon, roasted sesame, garlic, chili mixed with premium fish sauce, creating an irresistible delicious flavor.

• Address to eat delicious Cau Mong roasted veal: Phuoc Quan roasted veal: Thanh Hoa street, Tam Ky city

Cau Mong roasted veal dish – Quang Nam specialty (Photo source: Collected)

2.5.2. Phu Chiem noodles

Anyone who has ever enjoyed the taste of Phu Chiem noodles will find it hard to forget its flavor. Phu Chiem noodles with white, chewy noodles made from the best rice grown on both banks of the Thu Bon River, combined with pork belly and shrimp create an irresistible flavor. The dish is often served with raw vegetables such as bean sprouts, split water spinach, herbs… and a little spicy chili pepper makes the dish more attractive. 

• Address to enjoy delicious Phu Chiem noodles: Ong Hai Restaurant – 6A Truong Minh Luong, Hoi An City, Quang Nam

Phu Chiem noodles are famous and delicious, you must try them when coming to Quang Nam (Photo source: Collected)

2.5.3. Cracker

This is a type of cake similar to rice paper. There are two types of rice paper: dry rice paper that is grilled until fragrant and crispy, and wet rice paper. When eaten, it is dipped in pure fish sauce with fresh chili. 

Address to enjoy delicious banh dap:

• 679 Hai Ba Trung, Hoi An City, Quang Nam
• Cam Nam Commune, Hoi An City, Quang Nam

Banh dap – a memorable dish of the Central region (Photo source: Collected) 

2.5.4. Banh beo

Unlike other banh beo dishes in the West or in Hue, banh beo in My Son Sanctuary tourist area has the same unique and simple features as the people of Quang Nam here. Banh beo is made from flour mixed with meat, mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms or shrimp, served with dipping sauce and raw vegetables, very delicious flavor.

• Address to enjoy delicious banh beo: No. 2 Hoang Van Thu, Hoi An city, Quang Nam.

Quang Nam rice cake with its unique flavor, irresistibly delicious (Photo source: Collected)

2.5.5. Cake

Banh To is a specialty cake that is only eaten during Tet by the people of Quang Nam. The main ingredients to make this cake are sugar and premium sticky rice. The cake has the fragrant stickiness of sticky rice and the characteristic sweetness of sugar. You can eat it directly, fry or steam the cake before enjoying it.

• Address to enjoy delicious banh to: No. 12 Hoang Hoa Tham, Da Nang city.

Banh To is a traditional cake for Tet holiday of Quang Nam people (Photo source: Collected)

2.5.6. Banh xeo

As a famous delicious cake of the Central people, when coming to Quang Nam or My Son Sanctuary Da Nang, don’t forget to enjoy this delicious banh xeo. Made from rice flour mixed with turmeric powder, banh xeo is thinly spread so that the crust is crispy when eaten. Inside will be sprinkled with shrimp, meat, bean sprouts to create a sweet and fatty taste that is not boring to enjoy. The cake is often dipped in sweet and sour sauce and eaten with raw vegetables such as lettuce, herbs…

• Address to enjoy delicious banh xeo: Aunt Nhi’s restaurant – foot of Ai Nghia bridge, Dai Loc, Quang Nam.

Banh xeo – a famous delicious cake of the people of Central Vietnam (Photo source: Collected)

3. What should you pay attention to when visiting My Son Sanctuary?

3.1. How to get to My Son Sanctuary

3.1.1. Road from Da Nang to My Son Sanctuary

To get to My Son Sanctuary, with a not too long route, there are many ways to travel, the most popular today are still bus, car and motorbike.

Bus from Da Nang to My Son: Route 06 from Da Nang – My Son, departs from Da Nang city center bus station to My Son with a distance of 60km. 

• Reference operating hours: 5:30 am to 5:00 pm daily with a schedule of 30 minutes/trip.
• Reference ticket price: Depending on the route, the price ranges from 8,000 – 30,000 VND/trip.

Personal vehicle: By car or motorbike, you can follow National Highway 1 to Nam Phuoc town about 39km, then go west on Highway 537 about 9km more to Tra Kieu. From Tra Kieu, you travel about 12km more to the intersection, turn left, follow the signs for another 9km to reach My Son. To reach the My Son Sanctuary heritage site, you need to travel another 5 minutes on the mountain road, then walk along the stone road to get there.

Traveling by motorbike is a popular means of transport among young people (Photo source: Collected)

3.1.2. The route from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary

How far is My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An? The distance from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary is about 50km. You can travel from Hung Vuong Street, go straight on National Highway 1A to My Son. For many tourists who love to explore and travel by motorbike, this route is an ideal place to test themselves, only about 2 hours of driving to get there.

• The price to rent a motorbike here will be around 150,000 – 200,000 VND/day. You should fill up the tank and check the weather before leaving.

>>> See more: Fascinated by 25 BEAUTIFUL tourist destinations in Hoi An , extremely COOL virtual living. In addition, visit the channels of Vietnamese travel bloggers to get more experiences and suggestions for your next trip!

3.2. The best time to visit My Son Sanctuary 

Quang Nam weather has 2 seasons: rainy season (September to December) and dry season (February to August). Normally, the most ideal time to visit My Son Sanctuary is from February to April. At this time, the weather will be quite cool and not too sunny, you should still bring an umbrella, a light jacket and sunscreen.

The beginning of the year is the best time to travel here (Photo source: Collected)