The Cham, or Champa people, were a seafaring, Khmer and Hindu influenced people that colonized Vietnam's central coast between 1700 and 700 years ago. These enigmatic people left behind a series of monuments across the country that are in various states of repair, and while similar to monuments seen in neighboring Cambodia, these towers and complexes are very unique in any ways. This is a closer look at a series of towers that are found just north of Tam Ky City, in Quang Nam Province, called Chien Dan.
The Chien Dan groups today is a collection of three remaining towers and the visible ruins of the larger structure around it. These towers date to the late 11th/early 12th centuries, and despite some attempts at reconstruction (more on that later) the site is in a somewhat sorry state. There isn't much money from the Vietnamese government to take care of the site, and this sad neglect has left a site that inspires more of what it used to be rather than what it is today. Just about all that's left is the towers themselves.
However, that does not mean this site isn't worth visiting- it's still another great example of Cham architecture, sculpture, and in a world with so precious few Cham sites, for those interested in these mysterious people it's well worth a visit, especially since it's literally 100 meters off Vietnam's primary QL-1A. I believe there is an entrance fee; however when we went in the middle of the day there was no one around and we didn't have to pay. The large gate is locked, but the small gate next to it should be open. A small building exists to the north of the towers, a bit of of a headquarters and small museum in one. A linga, a holy object or site that represents a contact between the supernatural world of the gods and our mortal world, that was recovered from the site sits under an awning nearby.
One thing that makes Chien Dan special is that it contains a handful of impressive friezes. These long, rectangular panels are filled with figures carved in relief, in a classic style very similar to that of the Khmer from Angkor. Even 700-800 years later, the fact these figures are in as good of shape as they are is pretty remarkable. There are also some remaining stones featuring lots of design styling. Chien Dan is also rare in that it's surviving towers are quite tall when compared to other Cham sites. Inside you can look up; the wood beams are not original but most of the tower is. All of the towers themselves are relatively original; the amount of reconstruction that has gone into this site compared to other Cham structures is more moderate.
However, the site still suffers from one of the common problems faced by Cham sites today, which is improper reconstruction. This is an unfortunate situation where those who come to do reconstruction work on these sites inadvertently do so in styles different from the original, or do so without knowledge of proper construction techniques. This can lead to incorrect representation (not great but not the end of the world) or outright structure collapse (much worse). However, Chien Dan doesn't seem to suffer too much. Most of it's entrance foyers are gone, and rather than having been rebuilt incorrectly, they just remain as they are.
To get to this site is remarkably easy. Take QL-1A south from Da Nang, or take Hung Vuong (DT-608) west to the QL-1A from Hoi An. When you are just a few kilometers shy of Tam Ky City, the towers sit on the west side of the highway, and there is a road right to them.