Visiting U.S. Bomb Craters and Hindu Temples at My Son in Vietnam
Paying Homage to One of the Oldest Temple Complexes in the World
Flowers visits remnants of the American war in Vietnam in the “Holy Land” of the My Son sanctuary. Located in central Vietnam, not far from what was once the Demilitarized Zone, the village of My Son highlights and preserves the areas where U.S. bombs cratered the land in 1969.
Take in the full view of the two craters left by U.S. bombs.
Early on in the Vietnam war, Dr. Howard Zinn voiced his opposition and valiantly made his case for withdrawal. Zinn published Vietnam: The Logic of Withdrawal in 1967, writing in the book’s preface:
“Even as more and more Americans were becoming aware and ashamed that our government was committing atrocities against the population of a tiny country, there was a reluctance on the part of important people — even those who were against the war — to say simply that the United States should bring its troops and planes home. I decided to write a short book explaining why this was exactly the thing to do, immediately.”
U.S. media and leadership refused to even consider an end to war and withdrawal from Vietnam in 1967, or ever since. In 2025, little has changed in this regard to war and all the proxy wars U.S. leadership creates.
The citizens of Vietnam will forever remember the devastation inflicted to their land, culture and people.
At the Cham temples of My Son, centuries of pillage and more recent U.S. bombings leave scars on the ruins. When the Champa kingdom ruled these lands of modern-day Vietnam between the 4th and 13th centuries, they built the My Son temple complex of Hindu temples. Ruins of these temples are older than Angkor in Cambodia by a thousand years. In Vietnam over the centuries, many of the temples were repurposed from Hindu after Buddhism arrived.
During the American war in Vietnam, My Son was home to the North Vietnamese Army. Targeted by bombs and landmines, U.S. forces destroyed temple structures. With Hindu origins, today the temples of My Son are being restored with India helping foot the bill.
My Son temples were created to honor Hindu divinities, such as Shiva, Krishna and Vishnu. Back in the day, temples towers were covered in layers of gold.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site at My Son houses 70 fully or partially intact temples. The My Son temple complex tells the story of the different stages and architectures of the Champa kingdom.
At the My Son show, performers enact Cham’s iconic Shiva and Apsara dances to folk music in full costume.
Taking in the art, music and stories of the My Son sanctuary in Vietnam.
Flowers revels in the tranquility and peace of the My Son sanctuary.
Stay tuned and join Flowers on a peaceful, healing pilgrimage in Cambodia and Vietnam.