Experts from the Institute of Science and Technology in collaborationwith central Quang Nam province's Department of Culture, Sports andTourism will start emergency repairs on another of the world famous Chamtowers, known as B3, in the My Son Sanctuary this week.
The tower in danger of collapsing is 5m away from a complex of towersB, C and D. It's the first tower that has been repaired in My Son,however other towers have been fully or partly restored over the years.
Director of the Management Centre for Relics andTourist Landscapes, Phan Hong Cam, said that the Cham tower had startedtilting towards the southwest four months ago."We found cracks on theentrance arch and discovered that the foundations on one side had sunkby eight degrees, calling for emergency repairs," he said.
"Experts and engineers from the institute and our experts have beendiscussing ways to fix the tower, and emergency repairs will start thisweek," Cam said, adding: "Dteel cages will be placed in the middle ofthe tower and steel supports on the walls. All materials have beenapproved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."
The move is only a temporary solution to save the tower from ending upa heap of rubble. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports andTourism will submit a long-term restoration programme for the tower nextyear.
The monuments of the My Son Sanctuary are themost important constructions of the My Son civilization. The towertemples have a variety of architectural designs symbolizing thegreatness and purity of Mount Meru , the mythical sacred mountainhome of Hindu gods at the center of the universe, now symbolicallyreproduced on Earth in the mountainous homeland of the Cham people.
They are constructed in fired brick with stone pillars and decoratedwith sandstone bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Theirtechnological sophistication is evidence of Cham engineering skillswhile the elaborate iconography and symbolism of the tower-temples giveinsight into the content and evolution of Cham religious and politicalthought.
The My Son Sanctuary is a remarkablearchitectural ensemble that developed over a period of ten centuries. Itpresents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in animportant phase of the history of South-East Asia .
Conservation of the My Son monuments began in the early part of the20th century soon after their discovery in modern times by Frencharchaeologists. During World War II, the first Indochina War and,especially, during the second Indochina War, many tower temples weredamaged. However, conservation work has been carried out and theremaining tower temples have been maintained and are well-preserved.
The site is at risk from severe climatic conditions such as floodingand high humidity, though stream widening and clearance of surroundingvegetation have minimized these impacts. There remains an enduring issueof the possible presence of unidentified, unexploded ordnance withinthe boundaries of the property’s buffer zone, which has affected thearchaeological research of newly-discovered areas, restoration of eightmonumental areas, as well as site presentation for visitors.-VNA
The tower in danger of collapsing is 5m away from a complex of towersB, C and D. It's the first tower that has been repaired in My Son,however other towers have been fully or partly restored over the years.
Director of the Management Centre for Relics andTourist Landscapes, Phan Hong Cam, said that the Cham tower had startedtilting towards the southwest four months ago."We found cracks on theentrance arch and discovered that the foundations on one side had sunkby eight degrees, calling for emergency repairs," he said.
"Experts and engineers from the institute and our experts have beendiscussing ways to fix the tower, and emergency repairs will start thisweek," Cam said, adding: "Dteel cages will be placed in the middle ofthe tower and steel supports on the walls. All materials have beenapproved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."
The move is only a temporary solution to save the tower from ending upa heap of rubble. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports andTourism will submit a long-term restoration programme for the tower nextyear.
The monuments of the My Son Sanctuary are themost important constructions of the My Son civilization. The towertemples have a variety of architectural designs symbolizing thegreatness and purity of Mount Meru , the mythical sacred mountainhome of Hindu gods at the center of the universe, now symbolicallyreproduced on Earth in the mountainous homeland of the Cham people.
They are constructed in fired brick with stone pillars and decoratedwith sandstone bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Theirtechnological sophistication is evidence of Cham engineering skillswhile the elaborate iconography and symbolism of the tower-temples giveinsight into the content and evolution of Cham religious and politicalthought.
The My Son Sanctuary is a remarkablearchitectural ensemble that developed over a period of ten centuries. Itpresents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in animportant phase of the history of South-East Asia .
Conservation of the My Son monuments began in the early part of the20th century soon after their discovery in modern times by Frencharchaeologists. During World War II, the first Indochina War and,especially, during the second Indochina War, many tower temples weredamaged. However, conservation work has been carried out and theremaining tower temples have been maintained and are well-preserved.
The site is at risk from severe climatic conditions such as floodingand high humidity, though stream widening and clearance of surroundingvegetation have minimized these impacts. There remains an enduring issueof the possible presence of unidentified, unexploded ordnance withinthe boundaries of the property’s buffer zone, which has affected thearchaeological research of newly-discovered areas, restoration of eightmonumental areas, as well as site presentation for visitors.-VNA
