(VOVworld)- Among the many popular destinations in Da Nang, including Ba Na, Ngu Hanh Son, My Son holy site and Linh Ung pagoda, the Cham sculpture museum is a must-see place. The museum, the only one of its kind in Vietnam, gives visitors an insight into Vietnam’s history through rare exhibits.
The Cham sculpture museum in Danang
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The Cham sculpture museum in Da Nang owns nearly 2,000 items, 500 of which are on display. The museum was built by the French in 1915 to display sculptural artifacts of the Champa Kingdom which were excavated at Cham tower and citadel sites along Vietnam’s south-central coast and in the Central Highlands region. The museum’s exhibits are arranged in a geographic order according to the places where they were found. This arrangement helps visitors understand the various styles of Cham architecture, which differs according to local lifestyles and culture.
Walking through the small exhibit rooms, visitors come face to face with sculptural masterpieces which include statues of Shiva and Brahma and My Son altars. The sophistication of these works of art remains impressive even today. Most of the items in the museum are original sculptures made of sandstone, terra-cotta, or bronze sometime between the 7th and the 15th century. Vo Van Thang is Director of the museum:“In recent years, the Cham sculpture museum has conducted some archeological digs to find and collect more objects. Excavations in the last two years have had good results, allowing us to increase our inventory of objects. We have unearthed a number of unique artifacts and are currently studying them. We hope they will be available for public display in the next few years.”
In this museum each work of art is associated with some activity of the Cham community. Neither time, nor natural disaster, nor human activity has lessened the beauty of the sophisticated sculptural art of the Cham people. Le Vu Bao is a tour guide from Thua Thien-Hue province: “During our tour of Da Nang city, I often bring my clients to the Cham sculpture museum to show them the uniqueness and sophistication of Cham architecture and art. This helps them appreciate Vietnamese culture and I’m very proud of it.”
The Cham sculpture museum in Da Nang is built in a Gothic architectural style. It is a peaceful oasis in a bustling, modern city. The museum is open every day.