You won’t see much of Quy Nhon when visiting these towers. You won’t need to. You’ll see a kind of town though. Or what used to be a town of sorts. This is the Cham Temples of Quy Nhon. Distinctive in Cham style, though slightly different. Vietnamese and Chinese influence plays a part. The local materials bring a native feel to it. They stand tall and proud on those lush green hillsides. Like chess pieces which are brought to life and stand in defence of their part on the board. It’s powerful, beautiful, peaceful. Feng Shui is playing quite the role here.
Information isn’t in abundance here. Though there’s enough for you to find out the details about each tower. This is late Cham architecture. The Cham are an Indian subculture who settled, perhaps even colonised, parts of Central and Southern Vietnam. It is located up high and could be a possible defence of major prayer point for the people of the old capital, Vijaya. This place is just north of Quy Nhon and was the major central point for the Champa Civilisation in the area.
Every piece of construction has a purpose. The sights lead you to the main tower. That tower points out a vision to the sky. The Kalan, or main tower, shows a distinctiveness of Hinduism which matches that set of values. A statue of Shiva is the focal point in this tower. There are four temples in total. Numerous temples were destroyed in various wars with the Khmer.
The temples take a pyramid shape in form and are shaped with bricks wonderfully carved with cultural variance. The Champa, the Vietnamese and the Chinese have helped to maintain these unique towers. They have been restored to their former glory. This is the reason to visit the tranquil and tremendous countryside around Quy Nhon.
The Banh It Cham Temple is located around 15km outside of Quy Nhon. Opening hours are 07:00-11:00, 13:30—17:00. Admission fee is 15,000 vnd. Prices are subject to change depending on the season.
