Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Today we took a trip to Mỹ Sơn (pronounced like Me Son), an ancient Hindu temple complex dating back as far as the 4th century CE. It was built by the Cham people who lived in central Vietnam at the time. The Cham were eventually pushed south in the 15th century and replaced by the Viet people who did not share the same Hindu beleifs. As a result of this the complex was mostly forgotten until being found by French colonists in the 19th century.
Unfortunately many of the buildings were damaged or destroyed by US bombing during the Vietnam War. The jungle around the site isn't safe to walk in due to unexploded mines and bombs.
It was another really hot day and it seemed warmer than Hoi An even though it was only a short distance inland. I had thought we would gotten used to the heat by now but no such luck.