Po Nagar Cham Towers

​Located on the top of Cu Lao mountain near Cai river entrance, Ponagar Tower is part of the greatest historic complexes in the old Champa territory with the architecture influenced significantly by Hinduism.

Ponagar Tower Festival takes place from 20th to 24th of March in the Lunar calendar annually. At this festival, due to the traditional religious practices and folk beliefs, everyone in the area, including both the locals and tourists, will gather around at the tower to pray and watch the dance performances and rituals of the ancient Cham people. Furthermore, the dancing shadow is also popular for the participation of an all Champa dance team.

The whole complex is located approximately 3km to the north of Nha Trang city and takes only 8 minutes to get there from the city centre by car. You can just grab a traditional taxi or Grab (a similar service to Uber in Vietnam) with a very cheap price. However, if you prefer to walk, you should take the beautiful 30-minute walk via Tran Phu bridge and enjoy the cool breezes from Nha Trang beaches.

There may be many things to do in Nha Trang, but Ponagar Tower stands out among the top attractions as it plays a critical role in preserving cultural values by leaving the footprints of Champa’s culture, where people shared different folk beliefs and had diverse religious practices but succeeded in keeping it peaceful under the glorious dynasty of Cham people. All in all, any trip to Nha Trang will not be complete without an exploration of the history and art culture of this beautiful coastal city.

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Pictures and article by Nguyen Bui Son.