Indian experts assist in restoring ancient towers at UNESCO-listed My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam

Restoration work has resumed on the E and F tower groups at Vietnam’s My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Quang Nam Province, with Indian experts now leading a major conservation project valued at nearly US$4.85 million from the Indian government.

Nguyen Cong Khiet, director of the My Son Sanctuary Cultural Heritage Management Board, confirmed on Thursday that the long-awaited restoration of the two tower groups officially began last month and will continue through 2029.

The renewed project marks a significant step in preserving one of Southeast Asia’s most important ancient spiritual sites.

“For years, we’ve done what we could to preserve and stabilize the towers while waiting for this phase of restoration to resume,” Khiet told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“Now, experts have begun carefully cleaning and separating the materials at the E and F tower groups. Restoration will begin with tower F1 and proceed urgently.”

The renewed efforts are part of a broader plan to revitalize My Son’s historic structures. Visitors will be able to witness firsthand the transformation of the once-sacred space.

Quang Nam authorities, along with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, are working to ensure the Indian experts have favorable living and working conditions.

The restoration of the two tower groups is expected to enhance My Son’s historical integrity and tourist appeal.

The E and F groups hold particular significance within the sanctuary. The E group includes eight towers, named E1 through E8, with all but E7 (restored from 2011 to 2013) suffering from severe degradation.

Meanwhile, the F group includes three structures. Tower F3 has already collapsed, while F1 and F2 remain in fragile condition.

F1, which was excavated in 2003, remains unrestored and is currently covered for protection. Its walls are cracked, bricks faded, and mortar weakened.

In the absence of restoration, authorities had reinforced vulnerable structures with iron supports and devoted significant resources to prevent further deterioration.

The ongoing restoration builds on earlier work launched in 2014.

From 2017 to 2022, India funded a VND55 billion ($2.2 million) effort to restore towers in the K, H, and A groups.

That effort led to the recovery of 734 artifacts and the discovery of a Linga-Yoni altar at tower A10 — the largest single-block altar of its kind ever found in Vietnam, which was later designated a national treasure.

In 2024, archeologists uncovered a sacred pathway leading to tower K, a find that drew widespread attention from Vietnam’s scientific community.

In 2020, India pledged additional support for conserving the F tower group and the Dong Duong Buddhist Monastery site, further expanding its contributions to preserving Vietnam’s Champa heritage.

The restoration team includes both international experts and skilled local workers.

Notably, the bricks required to restore the towers can only be produced by a local artisan using traditional methods. However, the artisan’s kiln must be relocated due to its current location in a residential area.

“We hope authorities will help arrange a new kiln site in Duy Phu Commune, about one kilometer from My Son, so bricks can continue to be fired for the project,” Khiet said.

My Son Sanctuary was officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

By Thanh Ha & Thai Ba Dung – Tuoi Tre News – March 21, 2025