My Son, a World Heritage Site

Of the 225 Cham vestiges that are known in Vietnam, My Son possesses 71 monuments and 32 epitaphs, the content of which is still being studied. Even though My Son does not display the same splendors as Angkor, in Cambodia, or Bagan in Burma, it is still a unique and very significant site for the length and continuity of its history, since it bears the marks of a development that lasted more than 7 centuries (from the 7^th to the 13^th). Just like the old town of Hal An, My Son has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, in December 1999, which gave an international recognition to the cultural and historic values of the ethnic community of Vietnam. The site was seriously damaged, and no monuments in My Son are totally intact today. Still, they are precious remains that allow researchers to study the evolution of Cham art. After seven centuries of development, this art left behind stunning masterpieces. Cham artists must have concentrated all their talent to bring artistic pieces of such everlasting beauty out of the brickwork. Cham art was deeply influenced by Indian sculpture, but through its development, it managed to emphasize its indigenous features, which give to these monuments all their charm and originality. In the Cham statuary art, we find stoic monks, Epicurean dancers and the vitality of human beings, but also ecstatic moments of quiet serenity. Only the talented Cham sculptors could produce such masterpieces.