My Son tower needs urgent restoration

Tower B3, one of the rare architectures remaining in the complex of temples at My Son sanctuary is in danger of collapse and needs urgent reinforcement and restoration, according to head of the management board of the sanctuary Phan Ho.

A part of My Son sanctuary. (Photo: VNA)

The tower at the world cultural heritage site in the central province of Quang Nam is seriously degraded with a lot of cracks, Ho said, adding that it is one of the towers with the highest risk of collapse.

Tower B3, which is 9.45 metres high, was erected in the late 10^th century to worship God Ganesha – the son of God Shiva. It is located in the southwestern corner of the sanctuary and built on a low hill surrounded by the Khe The stream.

Like other buildings in the sanctuary, the tower faces floods, wind and rain, high humidity and high temperature differences between rainy and sunny seasons, so degradation is inevitable.

Restoration measures carried out by Polish experts previously helped the tower stand firm to this day. However, they could not prevent the tilting process. Currently, the tower is leaning toward the southwest at 3 degrees and its body has many cracks.

Given the situation, the management board of My Son sanctuary has reported to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and proposed measures to consolidate the tower.

My Son Sanctuary is located in a hilly landscape in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, about 70km southwest of central Da Nang city and 40km from Hoi An city – another UNESCO heritage site in Quang Nam.

It comprises eight groups of 71 monuments built throughout the 7^th -13^th centuries./.

VNF/VNA