Vietnam 8: The Cham Museum

The elephant in the room!

by Pa Rock
Globetrotter


We began our second full day in Vietnam by flying to the city of Da Nang where we were met by a new driver and a new tour guide - and soon discovered that there was to be no rest for the wicked.  In fact, our luggage remained in the car the entire day as they shuffled us from one site to another, all the while skillfully avoiding going anywhere near our hotel or providing even the barest chances of catching our breath, or, God forbid, actually resting!

Our first stop was at the Cham Museum which was just minutes from Da Nang's very modern airport.  The Champa Kingdon existed across parts of Cambodia and Vietnam from the seventh century until the early 1800's when the last of the Cham people were conquered and annexed by the Vietnamese emperor.  Their culture was primarily Hindu.

Golden sedan chair

Pieces of Cham sculpture

The Cham Museum contained numerous artifacts, many of which were unearthed near Da Nang in an area that had been heavily influenced by the Cham people.  The artifacts were amazing, though the museum itself was suffering from the effects of mold and age.

Cham pottery and figurines

Ornate sedan chair

And yet another elephant in the room!