A Visit to MySon Archaeological Site

Who knew that there would be so much that I’d find familiar in a first visit to an unfamiliar city – Hoi An.

On a hot sunny day I took a group tour with a few strangers to My Son Archaeological site.

On the little bus I met a young American girl whose parents were of Vietnamese origin. She was here to find her roots.

The ruins were spread out over a few spots and had been restored to some extent, surprisingly by the ASI (India). I’ve loitered around in ruins like these in many places – Chiang Mai, Bayon, Anuradhapura, Martand… where the buildings are just enough to offer a glimpse of what they used to be. A few carvings, a few arches, a few spaces where the Gods used to preside…all just enough to allow the imagination to fill in the rest. Had it been a little less, then the imagination would not have had any wings to take off. So as ruins go, I enjoyed the exact state they were in. Especially as I could recognise a few things here and there.

Here are photos of that trip – it’s best to click on each and view the larger versions.

And the best parts are captured in the videos – do scroll to the bottom.

And finally the most impressive sight:

For me, these notes help to fix my memories, so that even a year later, when other memories have added layers of experiences and pushed Hoi An lower down in the memory ladder, this page will act as a reminder.

More notes on Vietnam to follow soon.

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jaina mishra / wovensouls.com

May 2026