Po Nagar style (built in the 11th century)

The 11^th century was the most chaotic period in the Cham history due to foreign invasion and protracted civil wars. When the capital of Champa was moved from Tra Kieu to Do Ban (Binh Dinh Province), the situation became even more terrible. Historical events exerted direct influences on Cham art. The My Son A1 style, for instance, a tall tree with a far-reaching shade, continued to exert its influence on other structures the following years. Local elements were recovered and foreign ones gradually eliminated. The period after the domination of the My Son A1 style was one of searches for new orientations. The 11th century architecture and sculpture in Champa retained many characteristics of the My Son A1 style. Such characteristics were combined with local identities to produce a strange and mysterious beauty, marking a period of crisis of the Cham art before its decline.

Regarding architecture, the symmetry of structures became less harmonious. Decorations on the works disappeared and designs changed for greater simplicity Spearhead-shaped arches appeared. The slim shape of these arches can be found in false entrances of the Po Nagar Towers, one of the biggest and most typical of this transitional period. The sculptural art of this period, also known as the Chanh Lo style, inherited the huge vestiges of the previous styles. The influence of Java art wore out while local traditions prospered. Sculptures of human beings still had smiling faces, pupil less eyes, small noses and thick lips. Two-tiered hats with many overlapping spearhead-shaped designs replaced headwear. Jewels were still gem chains in the late Tra Kieu style. The themes were used repeatedly, showing the poor creativity of this period. The 11th century buried the charm of the prospering Cham art and led to a new stage. The towers of the Po Nagar style in My Son are E4, F2 and K group ones.