The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture by the banks of the Han River safely serves as a witness for tangible traces of history and tradition, arts and culture for over a millennium.

Built by the French in 1915, it was among the earliest museums established in Vietnam, primarily conceived not only as a depository for antiquities, but as an architectural testimony of the culture it preserves. Its pyramid-shaped roof and austere windows adopt the distinct silhouette of Cham temple towers, while notable traces of early 20th-century colonial design remain visible in its calculated proportions and artisanal masonry.

More than a century later, renovations, refurbishments and restorations have come and gone. But the original structure still holds its ground, faithfully painted in its original hue, subtly dignified and virtually monastic in its restraint.

As a brief historical background, our tour guide informed us the Cham civilization once flourished along the central and southern coasts of what is Vietnam today. It eventually became a bustling trading post for seafarers who traded and sailed among the India, China and the Indonesian archipelago.

Their artistic legacy is primarily sculptural — deities and mythical creatures in stone, and architectural fragments which once adorned brick sanctuaries.

The museum had on display over 400 artifacts drawn from a collection exceeding 2,000 works, the rest — protected for safekeeping. These represent 10 centuries of Cham sculpture — from the fifth to the 15th century — and range across sandstone reliefs, terracotta figures and rare metal pieces.