In the Ede and Gia Rai languages, Nhan tower is called Kohmeng tower, Cham Pa tower. The tower was built in the late 11th century and early 12th century, as a place to worship Thien Y A Na. This is a typical architectural work of the ancient Cham people, demonstrating the brilliant development of civilization in Southeast Asia, the intersection of two great cultures of India and Dai Viet into Cham Pa architectural culture.
Nhan tower attracting a large number of visitors
After more than 10 centuries, then due to the devastation of war, Nhan tower was restored in 1960 and 1994. In general, the shape, lines, and colors of the tower remain the same, only the materials used to restore the tower are different. Nhan tower was ranked as a national architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 1998.
On December 24th, 2018, the Prime Minister issued Decision 1820/QD-TTg ranking Nhan tower as a special national relic, recognizing the Nhan tower as a treasure left by the ancients for today and tomorrow.
The divine eye of the land
Nhan tower was built on a mountain, adjacent to a river, with a unique location, considered the “divine eye of the land”. In terms of feng shui, the location of the tower converges the following elements: vast sea and sky, charming mountains and rivers, fertile fields, and bustling streets. Nhan tower was built on the eastern slope of Nhan mountain right in the center of Tuy Hoa city. Nhan mountain is 64m above sea level, a rare mountain of riverside and coastal cities in the South Central region. The tower yard is about 56m high, the main facade of the tower faces east, the direction of vitality, the remaining two sides and the back are built closed, the tower leans against the mountainside, has a solid position.
On beautiful days, standing in the yard of Nhan tower, looking east is the Da Dien sea gate, the East Sea is like silver, waves and sea breezes are pouring in. Looking to the south, Chua river is like a dreamy hair stream, green bamboo groves with flocks of white storks fluttering right in the heart of the city; the famous flower village Ngoc Lang is warm in winter, cool in summer. Further on the other side of Da Rang river is the southern bank urban area, Da Bia mountain is in the distance. Looking to the north, Tuy Hoa city is like a colorful picture, growing up every day, the fields are green, Chop Chai mountain is sturdy like a giant “turtle” crawling towards Da Dien sea gate.
When arriving or passing through Tuy Hoa city by road or rail, Nhan tower appears before your eyes. The closer you get, the slimmer the shape, lines, and colors of the tower become, then gradually become sharper and higher. The tower is like a flower of the mountains and hills, like a torch shining brightly and standing tall in the blue sky.
Expressing the desire to rise
From the outside, the tower comprises 3 sections: the tower base, the tower body, and the tower roof, similar to a traditional Vietnamese house, symbolizing heaven - earth - human. The base and the tower body are square, symbolizing the earth, with a total height of all three parts of about 24m.
The tower base is larger than the tower body, about 3.3m high. The upper rows of bricks are built back from the lower rows evenly, gradually shrinking and clinging to the tower body. The tower base is a large, sturdy block that sticks deep into the ground, foundation for the tower’s body and roof.
The body of the tower is square, each side is 10.5m, about 9.3m high, the wall is about 3m thick. The wall is vertical, with pillars at the 4 corners, creating concave and convex edges on the four sides. The shape, lines, and decorative patterns on the outside have a golden ratio, making the tower body rise even higher. The body of the tower is the connection between the base and the roof of the tower, expressing the idea that heaven - earth - human is a unified entity; heaven protects, earth supports, and humans in the middle create wealth; the carvings and moldings on the body of the tower are very rich, not only expressing human aspirations and ambitions but also reflecting the world of gods.
The roof of the tower has 4 layers, with very strange shapes and lines, with a roof height of about 8.5m. The bottom layer with 4 large pillars at the four corners looks like four lotus buds from afar and the edges protrude from the body of the tower like a seno roof. The second and third layers each also have 4 lotus buds, the higher they go, the smaller and sharper they become. The top layer is a large monolithic stone with a square base, the top is curved and gradually pointed in all four directions, meticulously carved, which is the symbol of the linga. The linga is the male genitalia, symbolizing the god Shiva, one of the three supreme gods of Hinduism; the linga is masculine, representing the creative power of humans. From afar, the roof looks like a wild flower, like a winter night fire, symbolizing the divine, enlightenment, and awakening of humans in spiritual life.
Inside the tower is a square space with each side measuring 4.5m, the tower base is 1.8m higher than the outside yard. The worship arrangement is very simple, no altar is built, only the altar of the goddess Thien Y A Na looks out the door, the arched door is more than 2m wide. The four vertical inner walls are about 15m high, elaborately built, revealing regular rows of bricks like decorative walls. The roof above gradually narrows like an Egyptian tower; the rows of bricks above are built evenly protruding from the belowrows, gradually narrowing until they intersect at the top and then close.
Perfect combination of construction techniques and sculpture art
The entire tower from the foundation, base, body, roof are built of solid bricks, only the linga is made of stone, yet the tower is 24m high, equal to a 6-storey building. The bricks are larger than today's bricks, measuring 10.5cm wide, 33cm long, 8.1cm thick; When building, the length of the brick is embedded in the wall like the ancient earthen mortar wedges; with this construction style, the bricks are very sturdy and can withstand time and wind and rain. The rows of bricks are never overlapping, the joints are so tight that they are invisible. The entire inner and outer walls, moldings, and reliefs reveal dark red bricks.
Nhan tower is a perfect combination of construction techniques and sculptural art. In addition to its aesthetic function, the project also vividly expresses the desire for a good life, striving to be good, and making Vietnamese culture richer and more unique. Through archaeological excavations and scientific seminars, the process of building the tower is predicted to be carried out in many steps and has not yet been answered.
Since the province's re-establishment, Phu Yen province has invested quite a lot in the Nhan Mountain Park complex by renovating Nhan tower; building the Nhan Mountain Martyrs Memorial; planting many rare trees and repairing the roads up and down the mountain; building a cultural house and expanding Dien Hong park; building Bach Dang street along the bank of Chua river; clearing many houses at the foot of Nhan mountain and building and renovating ancient pagodas and temples at the foot of Nhan mountain, building the Memorial House of Lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho.
Nhan mountain and Nhan tower are a pearl, a poetic mountain, a priceless asset that not every urban area has, it is so beautiful in itself, the ancient beauty is valuable and rare. Nhan mountain and Nhan tower are the pride and inspiration of many literati when coming here, a symbol of Tuy Hoa people.
Over the years, Nhan tower is like a historical relic, sometimes silent in the rain, sometimes brilliant in the sunset, or sparkling when night falls. Nowadays, Nhan tower welcomes many tourist groups from all over the country to visit and participate in festivals, especially the Nguyen Tieu Poetry Night on the full moon night of the first lunar month, and the Via Ba festival from the 21st day to the 23rd day of the third lunar month.
Translated by Trinh Thuy