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Photo dulichgiaitri.com.vn |
Binh Dinh has long become an attrative destination for tourists as it is the home of the decilious cuisine and ancient Cham towers. It now still sees some one-thousand-year-old towers.
The features of the Champa tower complex in Binh Dinh are that the distance between the towers is quite short and they are built around the Do Ban Citadel (recently renamed Hoang De Citadel in Nhon Hau, An Nhon) The towers were constructed on these wind-swept hills between the 11th and 12th centuries A.D. by the kings of Champa. The walls and tops are embossed with sculptures of gods, birds and animal spirits from the religion of the Champa people.
Most of the towers are located within a radius of 40km from Quy Nhon city, so tourists to Quy Nhon can visit them easily. The first tower in our journey is Thap Doi (Twin Towers). Located in Dong Da Ward, the pair, which was built in the 12th century, consists of a small and a large tower standing next to each other, looking like an affectionate husband and wife.
300m from the highway, on an eastern hill, the Banh It cluster stands somewhat distant from the others. Standing at the gate of each tower, we can see another, which is the typical lay-out in Champa architecture.
Its name is derived from the towers’ similarity to the Banh It La Gai (pinnate leaf-wrapped glutinous rice cake) – a specialty in Binh Dinh. The gate domes are decorated with abstract designs and reliefs of dancing women and Shiva and Ganesha stone sculptures and mysterious Uma and Brahma bronze sculptures arouse our curiosity about the mysterious world of the ancient Champa Kingdom. This journey to the Viet Ancient Kingdom enables tourists to see and reflect upon the passage of time while they are visiting the towers and observing the surrounding scenery of mountains and ocean.
The Canh Tien (Fairy Wings) tower lies alone 500m from the National Highway 1A, in Nhon Hau commune, An Nhon district. This was the centre of Do Ban. The Canh Tien tower was built in the Binh Dinh style, with its sharp cone-shaped dome and simple walls.
Binh Dinh has so many other large and small towers that I can’t visit all. Each of them is an icon of the magnificent and gentle Champa culture and people.
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