Reviving the last abandoned ancient towers in My Son

PRESERVING ORIGINAL ELEMENTS

In late March, under the guidance of Indian experts, more than 20 skilled workers were cleaning, clearing, and scientifically separating the overall area of ​​Group F and E at the My Son World Cultural Heritage Site (Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam). From the experience gained from previous restorations, the team of workers cooperated very smoothly with Indian experts. After nearly a month of implementation, the preparation work has reached the final stage.

F1 Tower has seriously degraded. PHOTO: MANH CUONG

The My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board said that the F and E towers are located close to each other. Of which, the F tower group includes 3 structures F1, F2 and F3. In addition to the F3 tower which collapsed and completely disappeared due to bombs during the war, and whose location is currently only known through a diagram, the remaining 2 structures F1 and F2 are also seriously degraded. The F2 gate tower collapsed, leaving only a 3.2 m high wall that is leaning about 3 degrees to the south, with many deep cracks. The northern wall is still several meters high, and both walls are supported by iron bars.

The most worrying is tower F1, this relic was excavated in 2003, there are no signs of restoration and the surface is currently covered. The walls have many cracks, the pale bricks show signs of soil restoration; the wall sections are at high risk of collapsing at any time if not restored soon. It is worth mentioning that tower group F is one of the early Shiva worshiping architectural complexes, dating from the 7th - 8th century to the 10th - 11th century, an important evidence of the development of architecture and artistic sculpture in My Son Temple Complex in particular and Champa in general.

Around tower group F, E has been cleaned and cleared by workers.

For tower group E, there are 8 architectural works (E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8). E1 is the main tower of area E, dating back to the 8th century, the earliest remaining relic. Apart from tower E7 which has been restored (2011-2013), most of the works in tower group E have been severely damaged and degraded, now only ruins remain...

Speaking to Thanh Nien reporter , Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Director of My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board, said that the project to preserve tower groups F and E will officially start next May, lasting until 2029. According to the plan, the project includes components to preserve and restore groups F and E; drainage system and walkways around groups F and E with a total value of 4.852 million USD from non-refundable aid from the Government of India. The restoration process is mainly carried out by reinforcing, preserving the original elements firmly, ensuring authenticity.

The successful implementation of the conservation project of tower groups F and E will contribute significantly to the revival of the entire My Son relic site. PHOTO: MANH CUONG

In 2003, the F1 tower was excavated, but at that time it was only covered with a corrugated iron roof. PHOTO: MANH CUONG

CONTRIBUTE TO THE REVIVAL OF THE ENTIRE RELIC SITE

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, the F tower group has a long history and is considered by Indian experts to be one of the largest tower complexes in the entire My Son sanctuary. However, due to the devastation of war, many towers are only ruins. "The F1 tower is the main temple area, playing the most important role. In 2003, the F1 tower was excavated, but at that time there was no restoration solution, only a corrugated iron roof to protect against the dangers of the weather. If not restored soon, the F1 tower is at risk of landslides during upcoming storms," ​​said Mr. Khiet.

Mr. Khiet affirmed that the successful implementation of the conservation project of tower groups F and E will contribute significantly to "reviving" the entire relic site, because these are the last damaged towers of My Son today. In particular, visitors to My Son will have the opportunity to directly witness the process of experts reviving one of the precious spiritual architectural works of humanity. "If tower groups F and E are restored, the maximum value of the heritage will be promoted, restoring the long-standing historical value of the tower groups. Along with that, the tourism space will be expanded, bringing many experiences, attracting many visitors on the journey to explore My Son. Therefore, the project to restore these tower groups is urgent," Mr. Khiet affirmed.

Mr. Shri Azmira Bhima, Director of the Indian Archaeological Survey and Research Organization, expects that the implementation of conservation and restoration of towers F and E will contribute to overcoming the damage and degradation; restoring and perfecting the architectural space of My Son Temple Complex - a unique world cultural heritage. In particular, this will contribute to improving the management and professional capacity of the staff, creating conditions for building and forming a skilled workforce in relic conservation. The obvious effectiveness of the projects is the solidity of the temple and tower structures in the My Son Sanctuary.

The My Son restoration project began in 2014, aiming to revive the ancient architectural complex. From 2017 to 2022, the Indian Government funded 55 billion VND to restore the K, H, A towers, restoring their original appearance as when the French discovered them, which was highly appreciated by domestic and international experts and tourists. The restoration process collected 734 artifacts of all kinds, discovering the Linga - Yoni altar, the largest monolithic tower A10 in Vietnam. In 2022, this altar was recognized as a National Treasure. In 2024, My Son also announced an underground "divine path" in the K tower area. Archaeologists believe that this mysterious path dates back to the 12th century (equivalent to the age of tower K). This is the main road, the "divine path", the royal road leading to the My Son sanctuary.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoi-sinh-nhung-thap-co-hoang-phe-cuoi-cung-o-my-son-185250407210706151.htm