Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang: An Honest Review & Practical Visit Guide

Description and is it worth visiting

Cham Museum or Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang (Cham Museum, Bao Tang Cham) was founded in 1915 by the French School of the Far East, and today is the most famous attraction in Da Nang among foreign tourists, and the most visited museum. It houses the largest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. The Chams are best known for their numerous brick sanctuaries (Cham Towers) that they built throughout the south and central part of the country. You can see Cham towers in Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Phan Rang, Quy Nhon, Hoi An and many other places.

The museum consists of 10 halls, and in addition to sculptures, the exhibits include photographs and texts. Many examples of stone carving: altars, lingas, Garudas, Ganeshas and depictions of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu - are unique, and date back to the 5th-15th centuries AD, i.e. some of the exhibits are about one and a half thousand years old.

But after visiting it, we personally believe that despite its "promotion", this museum will not be interesting for every tourist. Unfortunately, there is no audio guide, tours are conducted only in English and French, and without additional information, wandering among ancient sculptures is not very interesting. But if you are at least somewhat interested in history and antiquities, you should definitely stop by here. Also, it is recommended to visit this museum before traveling to My Son. Also, don't forget to visit the photo exhibition about Vietnam province on the second floor. Free WiFi is available on the premises.

If you are interested in the history and events of Vietnam and Da Nang in a broader sense, we recommend visiting the new Da Nang Museum instead of or in addition to this museum, we have told all the details about it here.