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Amidst the golden era of the Champa kingdom, the Poshanu Tower stood tall, now a haven for tourists in Phan Thiet, encapsulating the cultural essence of the ancient Champa people!
Embark on a journey to Phan Thiet and unravel the mysteries of the historic Poshanu Tower, a relic echoing the architectural brilliance of ancient Champa.
Delve into the ancient Champa culture
Dating back to the 9th century, the Champa Tower of Poshanu (or Pho Hai Tower) boasts the Hòa Lai architectural style, representing one of the many ancient artistic architectural styles of Champa. Initially, the Poshanu Tower was hailed as an iconic masterpiece of the Champa Kingdom.
Perched atop Ba Nai Hill in Phu Hai Ward, Phan Thiet City, the Poshanu tower complex remains remarkably preserved, earning recognition from the Ministry of Culture as a national architectural and artistic heritage site in 1991. Its intricate and distinctive architectural lines vividly depict the flourishing era of the Champa kingdom.
Originally, the Poshanu Tower was erected to worship the deity Shiva. Later, the Champa people built an additional shrine dedicated to Princess Poshanu, the daughter of King Po Parachanh around the 14th century.
While the scale of the Poshanu Tower may not be as grand as other Champa structures, it encapsulates a wealth of cultural essence. It showcases exceptional architectural craftsmanship and intricate embellishments, creating majestic and mystical Champa edifices.
Distinctive Architecture of the Poshanu Tower
The cluster of Poshanu towers is constructed using red bricks bound by a special adhesive, with arched doorways, square tower bases, tapering heights, and adorned surfaces featuring unique motifs...
The Poshanu Tower complex comprises a main tower and 2 ancillary towers, all built in the style of multi-tiered square towers. Many other towers in the cluster have collapsed, leaving only remnants behind.
The main tower, Tower A, stands 15 meters tall, consisting of 3 tiers. Its main entrance faces east as the ancient Champa believed it to be the dwelling place of divine spirits. Within the main tower, the Linga and Yoni, representing procreative forces, are worshipped, crafted from solid black-blue stone. Tower C, dedicated to the God of Fire, sits adjacent to the main tower, being the smallest tower with a height exceeding 4 meters.
Tower B is the farthest tower, dedicated to the Bull God Nandi. According to legend, the Bull is the mount of the god Shiva. Tower B resembles the main tower but is much simpler, standing at about 12m tall.
The Love Story of Princess Poshanu
Tourists visiting Phan Thiet often hear many stories associated with Cham towers, including the legendary love story of Princess Poshanu.
According to legend, the history of the tower is closely linked to the joyful yet painful love story of Princess Poshanu and the lord Po Sahaniempar. The lord, a follower of Islam in the present-day town of Ma Lam, faced numerous obstacles due to religious differences, but the princess ultimately decided to marry him.
However, the princess's younger brother, unwilling to see his sister marry an outsider, plotted to separate the couple. Upon returning from a pilgrimage one day, Po Sahaniempar, not finding his wife waiting for him, misunderstood and believed that Princess Poshanu had betrayed him, thus leaving home and heading south.
Poshanu later embarked on a journey to find her husband and explain, but by the time she reached Mount Ong (Tanh Linh), her husband had fallen in love with a Raglay girl named Chargo. In her later years, Poshanu lived alone in Bianneh.
In remembrance of the painful love and the teachings of Bà Poshanư on farming, cotton cultivation, and even progressive communication rules... The Chăm people sculpted Her statue and worship her in the Poshanư tower.
Until now, significant ceremonies of the Chăm people in the surrounding areas are all conducted at the Poshanư Cham tower, including major festivals like Katê. Every year, the Poshanư tower welcomes numerous tourists from within and outside the province to seek peace and explore the cultural history of the Chăm siblings.
A trip to Phan Thiết tourism would be incomplete without an itinerary to explore the Poshanư tower. Quickly seize the best market offers at Mytour by contacting us as soon as possible and don't forget to enable notifications for useful blog posts!
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Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook
Welcome2Travel.comAugust 15th, 2022
