My Son

The most impressive thing we saw in our trip to Vietnam was the temple named "My Son". We were told that it is a smaller version of what you might find at Ankor Wat, Cambodia. Built around the same time and by the same Champa people of Ankor Wat.




The My Sơn temple grounds are one of the foremost temple complexes of Hinduism in South East Asia. It is the vastest and best preserved Cham temple site in Vietnam. The area consisted of open fields, dotted with the original temples from the 4th Century AD.




The style of architecture and ornamentation strongly reflects Hindu influence.




It was the site of religious ceremony of kings of the Champa dynasty, and was also a burial place of Champa royals and national heroes.





This is an original stele. Steles are rectangle stone tablets used to commemorate battles, or used as tombstones inscribed with information about the deceased.



Mia thought her head was a good stand in for the statue's missing one.



My favorite quote from our trip was conversation Aaron had with another tourist:

Aaron: Hey, what are you up to today?
tourist: I'm going to visit My Son today.
Aaron: Oh, I didn't know you had a son in Vietnam.
tourist: No, I mean the temple, My Son Temple.
Aaron: Oh....