Nearly a thousand-year-old Cham tower in the middle of Quy Nhon coastal city

(Dan Tri) - Located in the heart of Quy Nhon city (Binh Dinh), Twin Towers is one of eight ancient Cham tower clusters dating back nearly a thousand years, and is currently an attractive destination for domestic and international tourists.

Located on Tran Hung Dao Street (Dong Da Ward, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province), the Twin Towers, also known as Hung Thanh Towers, consist of two parallel towers. The northern tower is about 22m high, the southern tower is over 17m high. This is the remaining ancient Champa architectural work in Binh Dinh.

The special feature compared to the ancient Champa towers currently existing in Binh Dinh is that inside the Twin Towers, there is a set of Linga - Yoni statues made of sandstone. This set of statues is carved from a single block of sandstone, has a square base with a side of 1.86m, a height of 1.06m, restored from the original model based on the drawing of a French researcher. This is considered the source of creativity, a vivid symbol expressing the fertility beliefs of the ancient Cham people, praying for all things to grow and flourish.

According to the staff of the Monuments Conservation Department (Binh Dinh Provincial Museum), based on the shape, structure, sculpture, construction materials..., researchers have classified the Twin Towers into the group of towers belonging to the Binh Dinh architectural style, dating from the late 12th century - early 13th century. Besides the architectural elements of a traditional Cham tower, the Twin Towers also have the characteristic of a large block, the entrance arch and the false door rising like a spearhead... This work is one of the most unique towers, consisting of 2 main parts: the lower part is a square body and the curved roof of the tower.

From the eaves up, the Twin Towers do not shrink into 3 levels, but instead are a system of many fake floors.

Each floor is signaled at the four corners of the tower by the image of the Garuda bird with its legs bent, using its strength to kick the corner of the tower wall, its two arms raised as far as possible as if supporting the weight of the upper floor of the tower.

In addition, the reliefs of mythical animals are influenced by Khmer art of the 12th-13th centuries.

It can be said that, among the ancient Cham towers remaining in Binh Dinh, the Twin Towers are one of the architectures most strongly influenced by Khmer culture, expressed in shape, decoration and the use of stone materials in the architecture quite a lot...

The Twin Towers are increasingly attracting domestic and international tourists. According to the staff of the Twin Towers Relic Management Board, because it is the tourist season, on weekdays and weekends, there are 400-500 visitors coming to visit and experience.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/thap-cham-gan-nghin-tuoi-giua-pho-bien-quy-nhon-20240614124419664.htm