Supporting the Cham tower masterpiece awaiting restoration

CRACK THROUGHOUT, GETTING MORE AND MORE SLOPED

Tower B3 belongs to the My Son Temple Complex in Thu Bon Commune ( Da Nang City), located on a low hill, surrounded by Khe The stream. This is one of the rare architectural works that still retains the typical appearance of My Son A1 style, built in the late 10th century with the function of worshiping god Ganesha (son of god Shiva). The tower is 9.45 m high, considered a miniature model of the masterpiece tower A1.

In the early 20th century, French experts from the French School of the Far East (EFEO) cleared, measured, described, and studied the B3 tower, which was still quite intact at that time. However, during the war, the structure was severely affected, in which the southwest wall of the tower and the roof of the structure were damaged by bombs. Around the 80s of the 20th century, the structure was restored, reinforced the west wall, the roof of the tower, and some positions on the tower body by Polish and Vietnamese experts.

However, after many years of continued natural influences and especially unstable geology, the deterioration of tower B3 has reached an alarming level. From the initial discovery by architect Kazik (Poland) in the 1980s of a slight tilt and many cracks appearing on the walls, by 2000, a detailed survey had given an alarming figure when the entire tower body tilted more than 3 degrees to the southwest (towards the stream).

Chống đỡ kiệt tác tháp Chăm chờ trùng tu- Ảnh 1. — Tower B3 degraded, forced to urgently support

Along with the tilt, cracks appeared on the tower body extending from the top to the foundation on the east and west walls. The widest crack was up to 13.5 cm, even splitting the structure in two places, allowing light to pass through. In addition, tower B3 also faced many other problems such as the roof of the tower being tilted counterclockwise, falling bricks creating holes causing the inside of the tower to be flooded. The body of the tower was invaded by mold due to high humidity. The lobby had been reinforced and restored, but the bricks in the walkway were worn and peeled, causing the two decorative pillars to be at risk of falling, the door frame was tilted to the southwest, and the beam was broken in half.

In 2006, Japanese experts identified the underground water from Khe The stream (west branch) as the main cause of water seepage, weakening the ground and affecting the foot of tower B3, especially during the rainy season.

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism approved a plan to urgently support and preserve tower B3 with a budget of about 1.5 billion VND. According to the design, the tower is held by an iron frame from the top to the ground to keep the wall panels from falling, while waiting for the overall project. However, this solution only brings temporary "peace of mind", because the iron frame is too fragile compared to the enormous weight of the structure and does not solve the root of the problem.

Chống đỡ kiệt tác tháp Chăm chờ trùng tu- Ảnh 2. — Cracks extending from the top to the base

Even now, tower B3 continues to lean more and more. Moss and mold are rapidly corroding the surface of the tower due to high humidity, making the tower more likely to collapse. Not to mention, the appearance of the iron scaffolding has ruined the aesthetic of tower B3 and towers B, C, D.

" COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATION IS A REQUIREMENT OF SURVIVAL"

The My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board (abbreviated as the Management Board) said the main reason for the tower's serious deterioration is due to unstable geology, the structure is located next to a stream so it sinks unevenly, along with the impact of natural disasters and war.

Chống đỡ kiệt tác tháp Chăm chờ trùng tu- Ảnh 3. — Current status of the north side of tower B3

Speaking to Thanh Nien reporter, Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Deputy Director in charge of the Management Board, affirmed that Tower B3 is one of the rare architectural masterpieces remaining in the temple tower complex of the My Son world cultural heritage. Mr. Khiet said that although the current tilt is not too dangerous, the Management Board is not allowed to be subjective. For a relic at risk of degradation, the first principle is to support it to avoid collapse, while waiting for enough resources for a comprehensive restoration project. As for Tower B3, the Management Board has enough people and workers to restore it. "We estimate that if we restore Tower B3, it will cost about ten billion VND. This amount will be mobilized from regular expenses, investment expenses and heritage exploitation activities," Mr. Khiet said.

According to Mr. Khiet, the restoration process requires extreme caution. In particular, special attention must be paid to fundamentally handling the tilting and sinking of the foundation and preventing the tower body from warping, preserving the surface and maintaining the typical shape of ancient Cham architecture. "Implementing a comprehensive, synchronous restoration solution is a vital requirement to both firmly preserve this ancient Cham structure and restore the aesthetic beauty of the My Son World Heritage Site," Mr. Khiet affirmed.

The establishment of an investment project to preserve the B3 tower as a whole has been identified as a top priority in the roadmap for preserving the My Son temple complex. It is expected that in early 2026, the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board will coordinate with the consulting unit to research, make an investment estimate, and request permission from competent authorities to restore and support the B3 tower. However, the B3 tower is a special national monument, so all restoration and support activities must be approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.