The Cham people were a prosperous population who lived in this region of Vietnam. The Champa Kingdom existed from the 2nd century to 1832 and extended along most of the coast of centra and southern Vietnam. They were a seafaring nation with many lucrative trading routes. The kingdom was more of a federation of independent city states with a shared language and customs. they resisted Chinese incursions and were stable enough to build several large and expansive temple complexes. Most of the artifacts in the museum were from the 10th to the 12th centuries. We heard at least four different languages spoken in the museum, Italian, French, English and Vietnamese. A very fun and informative museum.
Our driver had this cute wombat on his dash
It is good that these balloons were filled with helium or the load would be too heavy
A Cham temple was close by and they had artifacts from the excavation in the museum
A goofy looking monster
More scary beasts
An artists rendition of how the temple must have looked
Elephants, deer and lions
Much of the earlier items were Indian influenced
Lakshmi the goddess of Wealth, Fortune and Prosperity
One block of 16 that supported a large platform known as the Dancing platform
So many small figurines on the base
The pedestal
The proverbial sacred cow
Limber and warmed up
This museum is showing its 106 years
Visnu with 13 snake heads, so many snakes! It is good to see now since it is the year of the snake
Look Ma, no hands!
In the room where all the items were labeled "National Treasures" Here we find the elephant god Ganesh
Multi tasking is not a problem
Another National Treasure
Ganesh is the remover of obstacles
Historic photos of the excavations
Another decorated pedestal
Stand behind the elephant!
The story was told how the legs of the large buddha in the back were found in a different area than the main body. Too make matters worse they found two heads and had to decide which one was a better fit. This head is just a reproduction of the one that is now in Hanoi
Holding up the sky with all those arms
This deity must weigh a ton
He has squashed this creature he is standing on
A rare bronze
This is a depiction of a bodhisattva
It was from the Dong Duong area
A prominent third eye
Layers on layers
Have baguette will pose
A nice set of painted panels
A traditional motif
Woven fish traps
A rice mill
The written script of the Cham started with Sanskrit from India but grew into a distinct kind of writing as new Arabic and Islamic influences replaced the Indian
Some traditional clothing
Original musical instruments
The turtle shell guitar
This is a very fine hat
Architectural flourish
How the museum looked in 1919
This elaborate loom is not enough to keep the guard awake
Some of the temples were made of brick
With stone highlights and flourishes
A smart way to support the arms
Ready to do the chicken dance
Lotus plants
A strobe light sculpture
We got the wheel!
A very elegant elephant
Expressive monkey
These ietms were from the 8th to the 12th century
So much detail
Fantastic stone work
These are the best in the museum
A happy elephant
Missing its ears
Not looking good for the snake
A dragon
Elvis has left the building
There were many great pieces in this gallery
The store room
Also packed with pieces
A face but also a bird with wings
Happy monkey
An ols pile of bricks
The last piece before we are done
A huge Ficus tree is a good place to eat some ice cream
It has been 2 years and 236 days since we began our Migration
