Gia Lai province's People's Committee (UBND) recently approved the investment policy for a project aimed at enhancing transportation infrastructure and gradually leveraging the historical and cultural significance of the Hon Chuong tower relic site, situated on the Ba mountain range.

The Hon Chuong tower is severely damaged. Photo: Xuan Hien.

The road project, with a total investment of 125 ty VND, is expected to be completed before 2027. It will link to the Hon Chuong relic, making this unique Champa heritage more accessible to the public. The initiative is also set to stimulate socio-economic development in the eastern part of the province.

The Hon Chuong tower, located in Cat Tai commune, Phu Cat district, formerly Binh Dinh province, is named after a large rock formation on the 800-meter high Ba mountain range. Among ba prominent rocks, the highest one serves as the foundation for the tower.

The tower stands approximately 7 m high, with sides measuring 8,5 m long and walls 1,5-2 m thick. It features a square plan, with a base extending about 2 m before the body gradually narrows towards the summit, devoid of any decorative patterns. The bricks are laid in a staggered, interlocking fashion. Around the stone base, scattered broken bricks and dense vegetation are visible.

In 2020, a survey team from the Binh Dinh Museum made its second visit to the relic. They spent nearly 2,5 hours climbing ba mountains to reach the base of the rock formation, where additional fragments of broken bricks were discovered.

The Hon Chuong relic on the Ba mountain range remains a mystery. Photo: Xuan Hien.

According to experts, the Hon Chuong tower is unique due to its distinct shape, differing from most Champa architecture. Situated at an elevation of 800 m, it is considered the highest-built existing Champa tower in Vietnam. Its construction may have served military or spiritual purposes.

Researchers suggest that further surveys, excavations, and in-depth studies of the area are necessary to fully comprehend the value and function of the Hon Chuong tower. The structure currently remains one of the enduring mysteries within the remaining Champa tower system.

Tran Hoa