My Son

The Cham ruins of My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, are located 60km south of Danang and are among the most ancient monuments in Vietnam. The ruins date back to the 7th to 14th centuries, although the site has been settled since the 4th century. My Son is the easternmost example of Indian architecture in South East Asia, in a region strongly inflenced by China. Finding such compelling evidence of Indian culture and iconography in Vietnam was one of the criteria listed by UNESCO as justification for the listing of My Son. During the Vietnam war My Son suffered heavy damage from US bombs, as it was a field headquarter of north Vietnamese troops.