Museum of Cham Sculpture, Da Nang Overview

The Museum of Cham Sculpture is dedicated to Cham Art, displaying an assorted collection of over 300 pieces based on the same. Almost all the artefacts date from the 5th to the 15th century. The Chams were in fact, the indigenous populace of Vietnam. It exhibits sculptures and images of Lingas, Apsaras, Garudas, Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha and Shiva. Before turning into a museum, this place was known as 'garden of sculptures', and since then, it has been expanded twice. It also consists of collections from My Son, Tra Kieu, Dong Duong, Binh Dinh, Quang Tri and Kon Tum.

Located in Hai Chau District in Da Nang, the building of the Museum of Cham Sculpture soulfully merges the French, colonial and Cham influences in its architecture. It was founded in the year 1915, by the Ècole Française D'Extrême Orient. The best way to see the museum is to hire an MP3 audio guide for about 20,000 VND.

The Exhibit

The exhibit of the museum of Cham Sculpture consists of 300 terracotta and stone sculptures belonging to the Cham dynasty. The sculptures mainly fall into some broadly designed categories such as - icon, pedestal, pediment or fragment. The exhibit is divided over 10 exhibition areas, each of which showcase works from a separate region. It is easy to observe the unique Cham legacy as well as Hindu influences in the sculptures. With some examples of the prosperity of the Chams, the exhibit chronicles their rule over Vietnam for eight centuries.

Tips

The audio guides can be hired at the museum itself, however, you may be required to flash an identity proof.
In absence of the, you may be required to keep a deposit bond of $50.
It is the only museum of its kind in the world.
You can also buy imitation pieces as well as written guidebooks.

How To Reach Museum of Cham Sculpture

The Museum of Cham Sculpture is located on the banks of Han River at the intersection of two streets, namely - Bach Dang and Trung Nu Vuong. It can be easily reached using taxis or even hired mopeds.