Edition: International Vietnamese. Economy Industries Companies DataSpeaks. Places Food. Trend Culture Style. Readers' Views. All rights reserved. This 7th-century monkey statue is regarded as a symbol of bravery.
A 10th-century sandstone statue. This 10th-century Makara statue symbolizes water. The exhibition is now open from 7 a. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. People often compare these structures to famous temples like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Prambanan in Indonesia, and Ayutthaya in Thailand. With its extensive trade ties, the Chams got introduced to Islam in the 8th century by Indian merchants from Karli and Tamil Nadu.
Islam quickly achieved popularity among the Cham people, and it eventually became the state religion in the 11th century after some royal family members converted to the faith. Although some Chams stayed as Hindus, while others became Muslims, they remained strong and united for another years.
Their invasion fractured the kingdom, but Chams continued to rule central Vietnam through tiny principalities until the 19 th century. Some Chams, primarily Muslim, moved to Malaysia or Indonesia, while most Hindu Chams stayed in their villages or moved to the major cities in central Vietnam.
The largest population of Chams, mostly Muslims, live in Cambodia. Some of them have been living there since the Kingdom of Champa conquered Angkor Wat. So, how did this powerful kingdom that left behind a vast cultural legacy quickly disappear from the pages of history?
The answer is simple: History is written by the victors. At the end of all these, the Vietnamese communists came to power and tried to erase history like other communists regimes around the world. Additionally, about two-thirds of the Cham were Hindus, and the remaining third were Muslims, which made them particularly unlikable to the notoriously atheist communists. Another reason to single them out was that the Vietnamese rulers didn't want the Cham people to make territorial claims over their historical land in the future.
Thus, the authorities covertly ostracized the Cham people and encouraged violent clashes between the Chams and other ethnic groups. The history of the Chams is excluded in school history books, and the Cham Hindu temples are not highlighted in travel guides handed to tourists. Also known as the Mother of the World, she created the earth, trees and rice and taught people how to live off the land. Surrounded by red-flowered flame trees, the four remaining towers date from the 7th to 12th centuries but this site has been considered sacred for much longer.
The central tower is devoted to the Goddess Po Nagar, who is portrayed as a cross-legged statue with ten arms. Each year, from the 21st to 23rd days of the Third Lunar Month 17th to 19th April, , a colourful festival unfolds here to honour Po Nagar. Around 50 remaining Cham towers are dotted all over Central Vietnam. Decades of research revealed the existence of 70 temples.
Sadly, this site was devastated by B52 bombing in and While the Kingdom of Champa is ancient history, their vividly carved stone deities, sacred animals and dancing girls still evoke the same feelings of awe and delight they inspired centuries ago. Already have an account?
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