Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record

Phu Dien Tower has just been recognized as a world record for meeting the criteria of the world's first excavated and preserved ancient Cham Pa tower under the coastal sand dunes.

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Phu Dien Cham Tower in the central province of ThuaThien-Hue has been recognized as the first ancient Cham tower sinking deep under the coastal sand dunes to be excavated and preserved in Viet Nam and the world by the World Records Union (WorldKings).

Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
Phu Dien Cham Tower in the central province of ThuaThien-Hue. Photo: VTC News.
Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
Photo: VTC News.

The tower is one of the earliest remaining Champa brick structures in the central region, dating back to the eighth century.

The Cham built religious towers to worship Hindu, and Phu Dien Tower is believed to be one of the two lost such structures near the former imperial city of Hue. The other lost structure is Lieu Coc Tower.

The Phu Dien structure is of great scientific and historical value as Yoni stone pieces, ceramic vases and other items found inside the tower are typical artifacts for the worship of the Cham people in the past, as VOV News reported.

Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
There is little known information that before being excavated, this ancient tower was buried deep underground and is currently located 3-4m below sea level. Photo: VTC News.
Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
Phu Dien Tower is a famous ancient relic in Thua Thien – Hue, attracting a lot of tourists to visit. Photo: VTC News.

For its historical values, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism listed Phu Dien Tower as a national architectural monument in December 2001. The Vietnam Records Organization (VietKings) set a Vietnamese record for Phu Dien Tower in March 2022.

Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
The structure of Phu Dien Tower is considered to be different from other Cham towers because it is composed of terracotta monoliths without roofs. Photo: VTC News.
Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
To protect the ancient tower, the authorities built a stone embankment system around the monument to avoid seawater intrusion and destruction. Photo: VTC News.

Three months later the World Records Union (WorldKings) also decided to set a world record for the structure as the ancient Cham tower buried deep in the coastal sand dunes was unearthed and preserved first in the world.

In April 2001, According to Public Security News, the tower was discovered in the coastal sand dunes of Phu Dien commune, Phu Vang district. It is buried in the sand from 5-7m under the ground.

Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
Photo: An arched greenhouse was also erected to comprehensively protect the main tower against wind, rain and natural disasters. Photo: VTC News.
Inside The Ancient Cham Tower Set A World Record
It is said that this Cham tower is in the transitional style between the ancient architectural style of My Son E1 and the architectural style of Hoa Lai tower. Photo: VTC News.

Director of the museum, the overall view of the building is a rectangular architectural block that gets smaller toward the top. It is one of the earliest remaining Cham brick structures in the central region, dating back to around the 8th century.

With such values, the tower, accredited as a national architectural and art relic since December 2001, earned its record recognition by both the Vietnam Records Organisation (Vietkings) and the World Records Union (WorldKings) this year.

Ruby Lee
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