Cham Cultural Heritage in Khanh Hoa Province
Do not just see Po Nagar Tower as a tourist attraction in Nha Trang. Come as a listener—to witness the red bricks, the incense smoke, and the Cai River together tell a thousand-year-old story.
A space of spirituality, architecture, and community memory
Amidst the vibrant pace of the coastal city of Nha Trang, Po Nagar Cham Towers (commonly known as Thap Ba) emerge as a realm of ancient memory, preserving the cultural imprints of the Cham people through architecture, beliefs, sculpture, and festivals. This is not only a famous landmark in Khanh Hoa but also a sacred space associated with the worship of the Goddess Po Nagar—the Mother of the Realm of the Cham people.
Po Nagar Cham Towers are located on Cu Lao Hill, which stands over 20 meters above sea level. According to the latest data, the site covers an area of 17,683.6 square meters and is situated about 2 kilometers north of Nha Trang's Bac Ward. The monument is a unique architectural and artistic complex of the Cham people, built between the 8th and 13th centuries. It served as a religious center dedicated to the Goddess Po Nagar (the Mother of the Cham people) and has been preserved and developed by the Kinh people as a place of worship for Thien Y Thanh Mau, a revered figure among the communities of the South Central Coast.
Goddess (Mother of the Realm) - from Yang Po Nagar (Po Inu Nagar) to Thien Y A Na
The image of the Goddess (Mother of the Realm) in Cham folk belief is associated with creation, protection, guidance, and the safeguarding of the community.
The reception and Vietnamization process demonstrate that Po Nagar Tower is a rare intersection of the history, beliefs, and religions of the indigenous people.
The main tower is dedicated to the Goddess Yang Po Inư Nưga (the Mother of the Realm of the Cham people). Legend has it that she was born from clouds and sea foam. She was the principal goddess of the ancient Champa Kingdom, worshipped in the land of Kauthara, and is also known as Thien Y A Na Holy Mother in the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship tradition. A unique feature of the Po Nagar Towers is the cultural harmony between the Cham and Kinh people. The Cham tradition of worshipping the Mother of the Realm was later adopted and Vietnamized by the Kinh people into the worship of Thien Y A Na Holy Mother within the Po Nagar complex. Therefore, the Po Nagar Towers are not only a Cham monument but also a shared spiritual space where generations of residents from Khanh Hoa and beyond have placed their faith, gratitude, and hopes for peace.
Promoting heritage values
The location of the Po Nagar Cham Towers is unique: built on Cu Lao Hill, near the mouth of the Cai River, overlooking the Nha Trang seascape. It serves as a convergence point for landscape, settlement, commerce, and faith, situated within the ancient region of Kauthara.
Cu Lao Hill is surrounded by the Cai River, which the Cham people call Yatran (meaning Reed River). On the hill stand many ancient trees, hundreds of years old, that have existed alongside towers dating back a millennium. From here, visitors can admire Nha Trang with the Cu Huan river mouth, the Xom Bong Bridge spanning the Cai River (a bridge named after Xom Bong, the site of the sacred "Bong dance" performed by dancers for the Goddess Po Nagar/Holy Mother Thien Y A Na during festivals), and Nha Trang Bay with its various islands: Yen Island, Hon Tre, Hon Noi, Hon Ngoai, and others.
A place where pilgrims pause before their journey of worship
This is where devotees prepare offerings and purify their minds before performing rituals at the Main Tower. The architecture consists of four rows of octagonal pillars (10 large pillars and 12 small pillars). On the large pillars, at the same height as the small ones, there is a rectangular recess carved into the shaft, functioning like mortise joints in wooden architecture. Researchers believe these "mortise joints" served as supports for a crossbeam structure that held up a roof, which has since collapsed and left no traces.
Previously, the Mandapa also featured two small pillars, lower than the foundation, on either side of the steps and aligned with the old tower gate. The gate, the Mandapa, and the main tower above formed a straight East-West axis. The current Mandapa architecture dates back to the same final period as the main tower, around the 11th to 12th centuries. From the Mandapa, there are 36 steep and vertical steps leading up to the temple complex. Legend has it that to show reverence to the deities, especially the Goddess Po Nagar, devotees ascending to the temple for worship had to walk in a stooped posture, and when descending, they had to walk backward, never turning their backs on the temple to demonstrate their respect. Later, for the convenience of visitors, a stone path was added on the southern side of Cu Lao hill for ascending and descending.
A convergence of architecture, sculpture, and the worship of the Mother of the Realm
The Main Tower (Northeast Tower) is the largest in scale and embodies the most fundamental and typical characteristics of a traditional Cham tower. Standing approximately 23 meters tall, it consists of three parts: the base, the body, and the roof. The three-tiered roof tapers toward the top, with each upper level serving as a miniature replica of the one below. The tiers are adorned with sacred figures: geese, goats, elephants, and praying monks (sometimes referred to as apsaras). Above the doorway, a relief in the shape of a bodhi leaf depicts the god Shiva dancing joyfully with one foot on the back of the bull Nandin, accompanied by two musicians playing the flute and cymbals. Dating back to the 11th century, this relief is one of the finest examples of Cham culture preserved in Vietnam. The tower features four doorways facing the cardinal directions, but only the eastern entrance is open, while the others are false doors. The eastern doorway is supported by two stone pillars inscribed with ancient Cham and Sanskrit characters.
Inside the tower stands the statue of the Goddess Po Nagar, the Mother of the Realm in Cham folk belief, a symbol of fertility, protection, blessings, wisdom, and prosperity. For the local people, this is not merely an ancient architectural structure, but a place where faith, gratitude, and prayers for peace have been entrusted through many generations.
The Mother Goddess of the Cham people
The Goddess statue is carved from a single block of granite, depicted in a majestic seated posture on a lotus-shaped pedestal, with her back resting against a large bodhi leaf-shaped stone slab. It is a masterpiece of Cham sculpture, representing a harmonious blend of round statue and relief carving techniques. The entire statue and its backrest are placed on a large stone Yoni pedestal. With the composition of a Linga as the deity and a Yoni as the altar, this forms a complete Linga-Yoni set, symbolizing the union of male and female principles, which generates life and serves as a sacred object for the Cham people.
To date, among the remaining Cham temple towers in our country, there is no other statue of a presiding deity that is as large and complete as this one. This highlights the immense value of the statue in terms of its religious, cultural, historical, and artistic significance to the Po Nagar Tower site. On either side of the Goddess's altar are two altars dedicated to her two children (Princess Quy and Prince Tri, according to the worship traditions of the Kinh people).
Unique architecture
The Cham people's unique construction technique allows the bricks to fit together tightly, creating tower surfaces that are both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing.
The details on the tower's body create a rhythm for the facade, while also allowing the viewer to clearly perceive the formative logic of Cham architecture.
The Shiva relief in dance pose, decorative mascots, Sanskrit inscriptions, and ancient Cham script contribute to the artistic and religious depth of the monument.
Spatial connectivity within the complex
In addition to the Main Tower, the Po Nagar Cham Towers complex also features auxiliary towers that hold their own architectural and religious significance. The South Tower, standing approximately 18 meters tall and dating back to the 13th century, is dedicated to the deity Cri Cambhu, another name for Shiva. Inside the tower lies a Linga-Yoni set, a symbol of creation, destruction, and rebirth in Cham belief. According to Vietnamese folk tradition, the tower is considered a shrine to Ong Nam Hai, the husband of the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na.
The Southeast tower is approximately 7 meters tall with a boat-shaped roof, considered a secondary structure from the late period, around the 13th century. Inside the tower is a stone Linga-Yoni set, dedicated to the deity Sandaka, the son of Shiva. The Vietnamese call this the Co tower, associated with the belief in worshipping the foster parents of the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na.
The Northwest Tower is located behind the Main Tower and stands approximately 9 meters tall with a saddle-shaped roof. The false doors still bear traces of unique figures such as the mythical bird Garuda, the god Kala, and the goddess Indra riding an elephant. Inside the tower is a Linga-Yoni set, dedicated to the god Ganesha, a symbol of wisdom, luck, and happiness. The Vietnamese people call it the Co Cau Tower, dedicated to the two children of the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na.
Shiva, Linga-Yoni and the Cham symbolic world
The Shiva relief, the Linga-Yoni symbols, and the sacred creatures and patterns on the tower's exterior reveal the influence of Hinduism on Cham art. However, at Po Nagar, these symbols blend with the cult of the Mother of the Realm, creating a truly unique character.
Hindu symbols are clearly present in Cham art and highlight the sacred layers of meaning within the monuments.
The symbol of fertility, integrated into the Mother Goddess worship, demonstrates the fusion of symbolism and religious practice.
The mascots and patterns on the tower's body reveal a visual world rich in symbolic language and cultural signs.
Promoting heritage values
Every year, the Po Nagar Tower Festival takes place from the 20th to the 23rd of the third lunar month, serving as an occasion for locals and visitors alike to pay homage to the Goddess, participate in traditional rituals, and experience the sacred atmosphere of the heritage site.
The festival not only revives religious memories but also contributes to connecting the community, preserving identity, and spreading the values of cultural exchange between the Cham and Kinh people, as well as other ethnic communities in contemporary life.
From worship statues, royal decrees, and festival imagery to the values of a special national relic
The exhibition hall showcases the representative values of the Po Nagar Cham Towers through a collection of restored stone statues, images of the towers' architecture from the past to the present, photographs of the Po Nagar Festival, and two restored imperial edicts from the Nguyen Dynasty conferring the title of "Thien Y A Na Dien Ngoc Phi - Supreme Deity" upon the Goddess Thien Y A Na. A prominent highlight is the 1:1 scale replica of the Goddess statue, mirroring the one worshipped in the Main Tower. The statue is placed on a lotus pedestal, intricately carved on both sides, depicting the sacred mother figure with ten arms: the two main hands signify bestowing blessings and providing reassurance, while the eight secondary hands hold symbols of power such as a spear, an arrow, a ring, a scepter, a bow, an elephant goad, a rosary, and a whip.
The exceptional value of the statue lies not only in its Cham sculptural artistry but also in the humanistic beauty of the Mother of the Realm figure: simultaneously sacred and powerful, yet as familiar as a mother who gives birth to, nurtures, and protects her community. Behind the statue is a bodhi leaf-shaped stele, decorated with motifs of animals, foliage, a Kala head, and two Makara heads—all familiar elements in Cham art.
See closer — hear deeper
Outstanding features in architecture and sculpture of Po Nagar Towers — the most famous Cham monument in Vietnam.
The Unique Architectural Complex of Po Nagar Tower – Cultural Heritage of Khanh Hoa
Map of the geographical location of the Po Nagar temple complex on Cu Lao Hill, Vinh Phuoc Ward, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province.
Promoting heritage values
When visiting Po Nagar Cham Towers, travelers should take their time to slowly explore each space: from the Mandapa and the steps leading up to the towers, to the Main Tower, the auxiliary towers, the stele area, and the viewpoint. Observe the red-brick architecture, listen to the legend of the Goddess Po Nagar, learn about the Po Nagar Festival, and feel the serenity of a heritage site that has accompanied Khanh Hoa for over a thousand years.
Visiting Po Nagar Cham Towers is not just about exploring an ancient structure, but about touching the Cham cultural heritage, gaining a deeper understanding of the Mother of the Realm belief, and appreciating the cultural harmony in the land of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa.
Walk slowly, look closely at each layer of brick, pause before the incense smoke, and let this space tell its own story.
