By Quang Binh Tourism Department
The Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang, Da Nang City Department of Tourism
Museum panorama from aboveQuang Binh Tourism Department
The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture is one of the first museums built in Vietnam by the French.
The front of the MuseumQuang Binh Tourism Department
The main building was constructed in 1915. It evokes some motifs of French colonial architecture in the early twentieth century and resembles the image of the Champa temples - towers in Central Viet Nam. This unique and charming architecture is truly impressive to tourists when they first came to the Museum.
Gallery in the museumQuang Binh Tourism Department
More than 400 artifacts are on display at the museum, including National Treasures and others representing the masterpieces of Champa sculpture in ten centuries (from 5th to 15th). The artifacts were made in a variety of materials, such as sandstone, terracotta, and metal.
Statue of dancers in Cham Museum in Da NangQuang Binh Tourism Department
The artifacts were made in a variety of materials, such as sandstone, terracotta, and metal. Grounded in various themes from fertility symbols, deities, mythical animals and architectural decoration from the Hindu and Buddhist, they express the features of cultural and religious values of the Champa people over many generations.
Tra Kieu Gallery - Relics from the home of the Champa culture
Comparing the archaeological data and the historical archives, some researchers identifield that Trà Kiệu had ever been a capital citade of Champa Kingdom, corresponding to the name Simhapura in some inscriptions.
My Son Gallery - Relics from the most sacred place of Champa
Mỹ Sơn was the most sacred place of the Champa kingdom. It is in the present day Quảng Nam Province, about 30 kilometers west of the town of Trà Kiệu, once the site of the capital of Champa. Protected by a circle of mountains, there were over seventy structures of brick and stone, most of which were dedicated to Siva. The exhibited sculptures show the styles in the evolution of the art of Champa.
Dong Duong Gallery - Relics from a Buddhist center of Champa
Đồng Dương was a Buddhist center of Champa on the plain about 20 kilometers south of Mỹ Sơn. The images worshipped at Đồng Dương bear witness to the development of Mahayana Buddhism in Champa. Despite some Chinese, Indian and other influences, the sculpture and architecture of Đồng Dương displayed strong indigenous elements which created this unique and impressive style of Cham art.
Thap Mam Gallery - The final glory of Champa art
The name Tháp Mẫm refers to a ruined monument of Champa that is located in Nhơn Thành commune, An Nhơn district, Bình Định Province. Approximately 58 tons of artifacts were found during the 1934 excavation, including large statues and architectural elements made of sandstone. The style of the sculpture collected at Tháp Mẫm is generally characterized as detailed but stereotyped, and lacking individuality and liveliness. The use of the term “Tháp Mẫm style” refers to the Cham art of the later period that shares these features. After the Tháp Mẫm period, Cham art continued to decline.
The Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang
http://chammuseum.vn/
