The central province of Quang Nam, in cooperation with the Institute for Conservation of Monuments under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will begin an urgent project to protect the B3 tower in the UNESCO-recognised My Son Sanctuary from collapse before the rainy season.
B3 tower in the UNESCO-recognised My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province
Deputy Director of the provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Tan Cuong said an emergency fund of VND1.5 billion (US$66,000) would be used to reinforce the foundations and structure of the tower, which has been in poor condition for years.
Director of the management board of the My Son Sanctuary Phan Ho said many cracks were found in the tower, some up to 6m long, 18cm wide and 1.2m in depth. The tower is subsided 3 degrees to the south-west.
Ho said the tower, which is close to the B1 and B4 towers, was surrounded by the Khe The stream, and as such artesian water ran through the B3 tower.
The tower was found to be slanting in 1990 by Polish archaeologist and architect Kazimierz Kwiatkowski, known as ‘Kazik’. Its foundations were strengthened by cement and supports.
According to the management board, parts of structure, including the roof, were damaged by bombs during the resistance war against the Americans in the 1960s. The tower was then restored by a group of Polish architects in the 1980s.
The B3 tower was built in the 10th century for the worship of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god in Hinduism. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati. It is 9.5m high and 5.3m long, with a 4.5m base.
The tower is considered a typical sacred Cham decorated tower in the My Son Sanctuary.
The UNESCO-recognised My Son Sanctuary, 70km southwest of Da Nang, is a favourite destination for tourists, along with the UNESCO-recognised world heritage Hoi An ancient town, and the world Biosphere Reserve Cham Island-Hoi An.
The sanctuary has been a focus of UNESCO support during the past decade.
Experts from the University of Polytechnic of Milan’s Lerici Foundation and the Institute for Conservation of Monuments of Viet Nam helped restore the G towers, including G1, G2, G3 and G5, at a total cost of over US$1.6 million, funded by the Italian Government in 2003-13.