The small Cu Lao Hill rests immediately at the north entrance to Xom Bong Bridge, 400 meters parallel to Tran Phu Bridge which connects the main beach causeway to the city’s sights on its northern half. The Cai River moves gently past the hill, where the magnificent Po Nagar Cham Towers keep watch over the flotilla of brightly painted red and blue fishing boats. The area at the base of the hill on the river was once a fishing village known as Vinh Phuoc, now the name of the provincial ward. Nha Trang’s most significant historical treasure, the towers represent an ancient people’s struggle to maintain a distinctive culture while constantly hounded on all sides by centuries of aggressive rivals. The main sign reads, “Thap Ba Po Nagar”, meaning “Tower of the Lady Po Nagar”, and Thap Ba is also the name of the city’s hot springs (p.64).
History
A kingdom which dates as far back as 2nd century BC, the Cham at one point had a sizeable empire along the southern coast of Vietnam. Other key Cham sites visited today lie in Phan Thiet, Phan Rang, and the ruins of My Son outside of Hoi An. Deeply influenced by Indian traders early on, the Cham adopted numerous cultural attributes that are visible in their ruins today, laying bare their unique linkage to a far away land. Hinduism was long the religion of the kingdom, with Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu being the deities of choice. The Sanskrit language was used, and the caste system was an integral part of society. Buddhism began making inroads with the Cham around the year 800 AD, and later Islam had a large influence in the later days of the kingdom. What remains of the descendants of the Cham today tend to be either Buddhist or Muslim, with the majority of Vietnam’s Muslim community in the Phan Rang region, south of Nha Trang.
At a time when the Chinese ruled most of Vietnam, the Cham followed a repetitious cycle of paying tariffs to their northern neighbors, followed by a spate of wars and retributions. By the 10th century the Viets had ousted the Chinese for the final time of their long occupation, and took up the role of fighting the successive Cham kings. The rise of the Cham Kingdom followed a similar timeline as Cambodia’s Angkor, ruled by the Khmer from the 9th to the 15th centuries. By the year 900, the Khmer and the Chams were the regional powerhouses, contending only with China for land and bragging rights. During that time, the Khmer waged a number of devastating wars with the Cham, and in one particular retaliation the Chams sacked Angkor in 1177. Eventually, the Viet were too strong, and the Cham kingdom was all but vanquished in 1471 by one of Vietnam’s more successful emperors, Le Thanh Tong.
The Site
On a small bluff above the river, the Po Nagar Cham Towers are a proud symbol of Nha Trang’s early heritage, and a must-see stop for any visitor. Under the Chams, Nha Trang was known as Kauthara, and recent renovations to the site have brought back much of the grandeur evident in its hey day. A calm evocative atmosphere envelopes the park-like slopes of the hill. Made of sandstone and red brick, the structures aren’t as awe inspiring as Cambodia’s ruins, but make for a great place to relax with a make-shift picnic on the low walls overlooking the mouth of the river and the vast sea beyond. The restored sections stand out as being less aged, and subsequently of a lighter shade of red, but bring back some of the time-lost magic of a kingdom long gone.
Named after the goddess who taught the Cham people the ways of rice cultivation and weaving skills, Yang Ino Po Nagar was incorporated into Hinduism as a representation of the Goddess Pervati, who was Shiva’s second wife, and worshipped as a mother goddess. In Vietnamese, the goddess Yang Ino Po Nagar is called Thien Y A Na, while the Hindu goddess Pervati is Thien Y Thanh Mau. The place where she was said to have been born and raised lies west of Nha Trang, at the Am Chua Temple.
The towers are some of the best preserved examples of Cham architecture in the country, and were built between the 7th and 12th centuries. Evidence of Hindu worship as early as the 2nd century AD has been found here. The views from the hill are magnificent of the bustling inland town with the low mountains at the border, and the wave rippled sea where the Cai River flows beneath Nha Trang’s two major bridges. It’s a quiet place above the bustle.
Much of the history of the towers comes from ancient steles, large slabs with inscriptions and reliefs found at the site by archeologists. Originally built of wood, the main structure was destroyed by raiders from Java in the late 18th century AD, and the stone and brick temples were erected soon after. Keep in mind the towers are still used for spiritual purposes, the shrines receive their fair share of pilgrims, and most Vietnamese tourists show their respect by lighting incense at the base of the statues, sometimes praying for specific wishes. Visitors offer fruit, flowers, and incense. Remove your shoes before entering.
Once a sizable area almost a half a square kilometer, today only four of the original eight towers remain in the sanctuary. One of the most striking of the restored aspects of the hill is the pillared mandapa, or meditation hall, which was in much disrepair until recently. The 10 large pillars and adjacent 12 smaller pillars stand out at the base of the hill atop a brick platform. The original path for worshipers en route to the temples passed through the mandapa and up a steep set of steps to the base of the Main Tower (Thap Chinh). Visitors today follow the curving steps to the left, and on the left flank of the newer stairs some of the original brick steps are still visible as lichen coated ruins.
The main visitors pavilion was renovated in 2006-2007, and has a spacious, peaceful atmosphere. Indigenous trees are labeled with their Latin genus, some with signs showing their being 300-500 years old. Stone benches encircle the area beneath leafy canopies, and potted trees surround each of the towers. A group of Cham musicians playing traditional instruments and a group of dancers wearing hand-woven clothes perform behind the north tower every day.
On the north-eastern side of the pavilion is a tiny shrine down some steps used to burn effigies of wealth to help the spirits. Also to the side of the towers are souvenir stands and a place where Buddhists can rent traditional powder-blue robes before they enter the towers. At present there’s a nice display of hand-made clay statuary crafted in the Cham style by local sculptor Doan Xuan Hung, whose workshop is at no.7 Truong Dinh St. For just a few dollars they make a wonderful keepsake. You’ll also find the Hue Duong clothing stand, which makes hand-woven Cham sarongs, bags, and other traditional attire in their workshop in Phan Rang. About 100 km south of Nha Trang, Phan Rang has the largest concentration of Cham communities in Vietnam.
At the back of the compound is the small museum, with examples of Cham statuary and photographs of the various excavations in the early 20th century. Next to the museum is a compact garden area with stone lanterns and replica statuary, and a path that leads down to a set of wood buildings used during the Cham Festival.
The Towers
The prominent Thap Chinh (Main Tower), is 23-m high and at the top of the steps leading from the pillared mandapa. It’s distinctive roof, in the shape of a pyramid, and high peaked interior make it an excellent example of Cham architecture.
A stele found at the site indicates it was built in 817 AD by King Harivarman I, and this tower was a replacement of the temple sacked and burned by raiders thought to originate from the Srivijaya kingdom of Sumatra. They also took with them a sacred linga from inside the temple, which was to be just one in a pattern of sacred statuary stolen or destroyed. The linga was the Hindu representation of Shiva, and the ones in the Cham towers today are about the size of a bowling ball, most resting in a lotus bowl. Another stele states that a gold statue of Pervati was later placed in Thap Chinh by King Indravarman III in 918 AD, but after it was taken by marauding Khmers, the later kings made a better plan to discourage the looting. In 965 a black stone figure of the goddess was placed in the main sanctuary, and it remains the most popular item worshipped today.
The ornately decorated roof of Thap Chinh is still in fairly good condition. Above the entrance are three carved dancing apsaras, two musicians on either side of a four-armed carving of the goddess as an incarnation of Durga, who stands upon the head of the buffalo demon Nandin. Notice the Sanskrit inscriptions on the supports and parts of the entrance walls.
Stepping into the corridor to the main sanctum you’ll notice a ceremonial drum and two Cham guardians on either side of the inner door, each with their own set of offerings. As you cross the stone threshold into the main room of the temple, the ceiling is often veiled in a cloud of smoke from joss sticks, which have coated the walls black over the years. The goddess statue, its pedestal, and its stela were sculpted from the same piece of black stone in 965. While the face of the statue is ornately painted, the original head was plundered by the French and can now be seen in the Guimet Museum in Paris. An earlier statue carved of sandalwood bore more Indian characteristics, though it was destroyed in the 10th century.
Hard to miss is the stone guardian with fangs bared which lies above the statue, and there are bright canopied umbrellas flanking it. Ceremonial clothing and jewelry completely envelope the statue, who was sculpted in a meditative seated position with breasts bare. Another manifestation of the mother goddess was that of Durga, who was seen as more of a warrior goddess than the fiercely compassionate Pervati. While Pervati was represented with either two or four arms, Durga was most often depicted with ten, each positioned in a purposeful fashion. The statue in the main tower sits in calm meditation, though count the arms and you’ve got a closer rendition of the Durga incarnation. Four of the arms are bent behind the statue, holding a dagger, an arrow, a conch shell, and a spear; two others are at the statue’s side; while the remaining two arms are in front, with both hands placed on the knees. Along the left and right walls are smaller shrines of the goddess, as well as a pair of elephants. The caretaker inside taps a brass gong whenever a worshipper lights incense in prayer.
Thap Nam (South Tower) was built in the 12th century on an earlier site going as far back as the 7th century. There is a linga inside the main chamber. This tower was built for the god Cri Cambhu, and many of its visitors are childless couples who pray at the linga for fertility.
Thap Dong Nam (Southeast Tower) is compact and was built for Shiva, this time as the incarnation of Sandhaka. As with the others, there’s a linga inside. Remember to leave your shoes outside if you want to take a quick peek.
Many sandstone reliefs are still visible in the outer facades of Thap Tay Bac (Northwest Tower), originally dedicated to Ganesh, the Hindu god of wisdom and the arts. Look on the western outer wall for a battered but still visible carving of an elephant with a rider proudly facing west.
There is a festival at the towers every year for two days in the middle of the third lunar month, most often in April. There is a peaceful ceremony on the first night, and an elaborate procession to the waterfront on the second day. It’s worth seeing if you’re in town at the time.
General admission to the site is 16,000 VND, and it’s open every day from 6AM to 6PM.
