LookAtVietnam - Nha Trang is home to a number of fascinating cultural sites, proving that the city is more than a 'beach destination'.
LookAtVietnam - Nha Trang is home to a number of fascinating cultural sites, proving that the city is more than a 'beach destination'.
Nha Trang is undoubtedly one of Vietnam's best known 'beach destinations'. The vast majority of visitors come here to feel the warm sand in between their toes and the sea breeze blowing through their hair. |
But as I tend to wilt in the sunshine, I always prefer to explore the local cultural sites during the day and hit the beach in the late afternoon.
And Nha Trang has plenty to offer by way of culture – this was once the centre of Champa civilization; in fact the name Nha Trang is thought to have been derived from the Cham word yakram, which means 'bamboo river'.
The city is home to some of the best preserved Cham towers in Vietnam. Located on a granite knoll on the northern bank of the Cai river in Vinh Phuoc quarter, the Cham Towers of Po Nagar (The Lady of the City) were built between the 7th and 12th centuries.
Known as Thap Ba in Vietnamese, the site included eight towers, four of which remain, which were used for worship as early as the second century AD. Today, ethnic Cham, Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists come to Po Nagar to pray and make offerings here, according to their respective traditions.
The original wooden structure was razed to the ground by an invading troop of Javanese in 744 AD but was replaced by a stone and brick temple in 784. continued>>
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