Khương Mỹ Towers

Khương Mỹ relics is located in Tam Xuan commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province, near National road 1A, away from Da Nang city about 75km to Sounth. Khương Mỹ relic included of 3 towers, arranged along a north-south axis with the entrance in the east. Khương Mỹ towers were built in traditional Champa (Cham) tower with a nearly square section, roof is including 3 parts (layers), the bottom and midle layers are the same, but the midle layer is smaller. The top of tower was made from sandstone.

North Tower: the smallest tower in the group, with a door and 5 fake door. The lobby towers collapsed partially. Arches are decorated with stylized plants, leaves twisted. On each side wall has 5 cylindrical pillars, along the wall there're decorations with herbs in the letter S shape, interspersed with decoration is square that were decorated from bottom to top of the wall.

The center tower: larger than the North tower, relatively well preserved. There were also a door and 5 fake doors like North Tower. The decoration is the same with the north tower.

South Tower: The biggest tower, it's relatively well preserved, almost like the two other towers, but on each side of the walls only has 4 cylindrical pillars. Decorative patterns on the pillars and the wall are patterned of herb into the letter S shape.

According to Ph.Stern, It's first time that the appearance of Khmer style in Champa architecture: style of bent, pricked up at the tip, the leaves have deep grooves. The diamond after another is formed by diagonal and stylized flowers. It was that characteristic patterns of Khmer art in the IX-X century The researchers suggest that the South Tower was built first, then middle and finally the north tower.

The excavations in 2007-2008, there were 124 artifacts are found, including sculpture, statues of people; Naga, monkeys, horses, elephants and of all kinds decorate of the base, wall, corners, top of towers ... Most the artifacts of Khương Mỹ are displayed at the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang.

Because of many sculptures found here have the characteristic of Vishnu, some researchers supposed Khương Mỹ towers were temples of Vishnu.

Vietnam Discoveries 

/