Hội thảo công bố đường dẫn khu tháp K

Following Decision No. 2104/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated June 23, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on archaeological survey and excavation, and the 2025 work program of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, from early July 2025 until now, the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board has worked with the Institute of Archaeology to carry out archaeological surveys and excavations in the area between Tower K and the central tower group at the My Son Sanctuary. The excavation has uncovered many valuable remains, helping to provide more information and gradually clarify the sacred road of the My Son Sanctuary in history.

On the afternoon of December 12, the Management Board of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Site organized a workshop to report the results of the archaeological excavation and research on the entrance road architecture of the My Son Temple Complex. The workshop was attended by Associate Professor Dr. Ngô Văn Doanh, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; Associate Professor Dr. Bùi Chí Hoàng, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Archaeology; along with scientists and researchers of Cham culture. Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City, also attended the workshop.

Tower K was first surveyed and studied in June 2023 by the Management Board of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Site in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology. According to scientists, this is evidence of a sacred road used by ancient people to enter the central temple area. It is one of the architectural structures that had never been known in the history of My Son until now. After the previous excavation, more than 150 meters of the road were uncovered. In this excavation, the digging area was expanded to 770 square meters, bringing the total clarified length of the road from the foot of the tower to 132 meters. The road is 9 meters wide. Its surface was firmly compacted with sand, gravel, and broken bricks, with a thickness of about 0.15-0.2 meters. The walls on both sides of the road were built with rows of bricks. Their foundations were strengthened with compacted gravel, pebbles, and brick powder. The remaining traces of the northern and southern walls were further clarified. The northern wall was built as a continuous structure and has a higher foundation level. The southern wall lies on lower ground and includes gates and entrances at certain fixed positions. The excavation identified four gate locations along the southern wall. At these gates, remains of stone door beams were found, with square holes for stone pillars and round holes for pivot posts of the doors. Besides many bricks and stones used in the road’s construction, archaeologists also discovered fragments of terracotta and glazed ceramics dating from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The initial conclusion of the workshop confirmed that the site had a religious function. It was a sacred road used by deities, kings, and Brahman priests to enter the sacred space of My Son around the 11th-12th centuries. This result also raises a new scientific issue, showing that My Son continued to play a central religious role in the Champa kingdom throughout its history. Early comparative studies also note that this newly discovered sacred road is unique in the Champa cultural heritage system. Unlike other sites, where roads usually run straight from outside to the central temple, this road leads into a larger heritage complex. In the concluding remarks at the workshop, the leadership of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board stated that they will continue to cooperate with the Institute of Archaeology to further study the scale, structure, and appearance of the entire road within the overall context of the My Son site. They will also carry out urgent conservation and restoration work to better preserve and promote its historical and cultural value, and organize visitor access along this heritage road left by the Cham people, helping visitors better understand the My Son Sanctuary and Champa culture in history.