My Son Sanctuary in Hoi An

My Son Sanctuary in Hoi An

Hoi An, Vietnam

My Son sanctuary is a set of Hindu temples located in the mountainous jungle that were built between the centuries IV-XIII by the Cham civilization. The Kingdom of Champa was a unique Hindu civilization present in Vietnam from the 4th century until the 19th century. My Son was the capital of it, however, nowadays mostly destroyed because of massive bombing events during the "American war". Its impressive remnants can still be visited, in addition to other constructions in several areas of Vietnam.

It’s located almost 1h from Hoi An by car. There are many travel agencies that organize half-day guided tours from Hoi An for 300.000 VND (In some of them, the entrance ticket is not included, 150.000 VND). These companies offer a door to door service. They will pick you up and drop you off at your accommodation. In addition to this, it usually includes a snack (Banh mi), and a boat ride (10-15’). You can check these offers out with the app "Klook".

If you decide to go on your own, you can leave the vehicle next to the ticket office at the entrance, here. Once you go through it, an electric shuttle will take you to the area of the monuments, which are located a bit further away.

Once you are in that area, you still need to walk for about 5 minutes to reach all the temples. You will find relics, bombs, craters, and several impresing temples made of red bricks. Visiting the whole enclosure might take you around 1h. There is almost no information about the history of the place, so a guide is quite useful.

There is a free cultural show a couple of times per day. If you are interested in it, ask about the schedule at the ticket office.

This sanctuary was integrated in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. Here you have more information: Unesco website.

The Champa architecture is unique and stands out from the other temples you might visit in Vietnam. The contrast of the ruins made of red bricks and the green grass surrounding them creates a unique image.