Connecting Champa heritage

Spreading Cham culture

The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture has partnered with the My Son Sanctuary Management Board to stage Cham folk art performances on-site, drawing strong interest from both domestic and international visitors.

The initiative enriches tourism offerings while creating more engaging ways to present Cham cultural values through hands-on experiences, such as pottery making, woodblock printing, brocade weaving, traditional dances and costume showcases.

According to Le Thi Thu Trang, Director of the museum, integrating folk performances into the museum, home to hundreds of sculptures from ancient Champa dynasties, helps visitors better understand a once-flourishing civilisation in Central Vietnam.

Building on this success, the museum plans to expand cooperation with My Son, including joint promotion and possible preferential policies for visitors travelling between the two sites.

Meanwhile, the My Son Sanctuary Heritage Management Board has actively promoted Cham culture through on-site experiences, with folk performances becoming a core part of the visitor journey.

A highlight is the “My Son Legendary Night” programme, which recreates the history of the ancient Champa kingdom through light, music and dance, offering an immersive cultural experience in the sacred valley.

Linking Cham heritage

Beyond My Son Sanctuary, Da Nang and neighbouring areas are home to numerous Cham relics, including temple towers, such as Bang An, Chien Dan, and Khuong My, as well as archaeological sites like Dong Duong, Tra Kieu, and Go Loi. However, apart from My Son, these sites attract only modest visitor numbers, just a few hundred annually.

Experts suggest developing a Cham culture-themed tourism route to create a distinctive, research-orientated experience.

A proposed itinerary could start at the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture for historical context, continue to My Son Sanctuary, and extend to temple clusters, such as Bang An, Chien Dan and Khuong My.

Each site should evolve into a storytelling space through creative offerings like artistic performances, ritual reenactments and traditional craft experiences.

Besides, it is necessary to upgrade infrastructure and services, including transport links, interpretive systems, landscape planning and visitor amenities, alongside training personnel with strong knowledge of Cham culture and storytelling skills.

Stronger promotion and closer collaboration with travel businesses are also essential, as even unique products require effective communication.

Building a clear brand for Cham cultural tourism routes, supported by coordinated multi-platform campaigns, will be key to boosting visibility and attracting visitors.