Cham towers in My Son Sanctuary, as well as Cham towers throughout the country, are mainly concentrated in the South Central provinces with great cultural and historical value; Therefore, it is necessary to conserve and preserve it as an urgent requirement at present and in the long run.
In My Son, the temple towers are built on low hills, which are like “red torches” among greenery, mountains and forests. In the relic area is 320 hectares of the central area and 1,158 hectares of forest with many rare and precious species of plants and animals, strictly protected. With typical cultural values, in 1999 My Son relic was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage.
My Son temple tower is arranged according to the overall a main temple in the middle that symbolizes the mountain, the center of the universe, the place of the gods, including 3 parts (base of the tower, tower body and roof of the tower). The tower base is built square or cross, representing the mundane world; The base of the tower is decorated with motifs or animal figures, people praying kala face, makala or dancers, musicians … The ups and downs of history, the harshness of the weather and wars made My Son Sanctuary seriously degraded.
1. Organizational Capacity to implement
Russian and VinIT Institute of Technology experts have studied at Cham Tower in My Son in 2014, initially making some brick samples being placed at Tower B4, namely: 7/2015 (5 samples) and 5/2017 (7 samples) ). These samples were tested in the natural environment monitored and managed by My Son relic management.
2. Objectives
- Research on technology to create bricks similar to the original Cham brick materials.
- Act as a brick production establishment in service of restoration and conservation under the Government and local programs.
3. S&T contents need to be resolved
- Research patent information on methods of creating bricks similar to Cham ancient bricks;
- Accurately assessing the composition of building brick materials of Cham Tower (original material) made by the ancients;
- Testing, analyzing, integrating materials to make bricks to meet requirements on the basis of similarity with original materials;
- Improve the manufacturing technology of bricks similar to Cham ancient bricks (industrial scale);
- Manufacturing bricks equivalent to the original material (industrial scale);
- Develop technological processes for brick production in service of restoration and conservation.
4. Expected product creation
- Overview report on invention information on ancient Cham brick manufacturing technology;
- Report on composition of ancient Cham brick materials and bricks made by a researcher;
- Organizing scientific seminar to evaluate technology results and materials researched and manufactured;
- Restoring and testing 01 monuments in My Son Sanctuary complex;
- Report on the technological process of brick production for restoration and conservation.
The sample of My Son bricks is drying experiments
5. Applicability
- Application of restoration and conservation work under the Government’s program at My Son Sanctuary;
- Application to the restoration and conservation of Cham towers in the provinces in the country and abroad.
6. Effective
- Socio-economic efficiency: solving the problem of Cham tower restoration and conservation is currently a concern of the Government, local authorities and UNESCO Heritage Management Organization;
- Cultural efficiency: Creating sustainable values of Cham tower relics.
