(VOVworld)- Ninh Thuan province has Vietnam’s largest population of Cham ethnic minority people. The Cham culture is reflected in their writing, clothing, architecture, sculpture, ceramics and brocade weaving. In recent years, Ninh Thuan province has paid special attention to preserving and promoting Cham culture, especially Cham towers and temples.

Ninh Thuan province has Cham towers dating back to the 13^th century. 3 clusters of towers called Po Klong Giairai, Po Rome and Hoa Lai have been recognized as national heritages. These towers have been closely associated with the Cham people’s spiritual and religious life for centuries. Some of them are in ruins. With support from the State, Ninh Thuan authorities have mobilized local people to join efforts to restore all the Cham towers and temples. Po Klong Chanh temple in Bau Truc village, Ninh Phuoc district is one temple currently being restored. It was built in 1954 and has been severely ruined. In 2012, local people contributed labor and money worth 15,000 USD to restore the temple. Dang Nang Binh of Bau Truc village says:“Previously, Po Klong Chanh temple stood in the middle of a field and was called Po Klong Hamu. It was later damaged and ruined. The State, provincial authorities, and local people jointly invested in restoring the temple”.

Porome tower in Ninh Thuan

Po Klong Giarai tower in Ninh Thuan

The Cham people in 11 villages of Phuoc Thai, Phuoc Hau, Thanh Hai, Bac Son, and Phan Rang communes in Thap Cham district, along with overseas Vietnamese and enterprises recently contributed 25,000 USD to build a new Po Klong Girai temple to replace the old one which had been ruined. The Po Klong Girai is important to Cham people because it houses royal costumes of King Po Klong Giarai and several Cham genies, who help the Cham people with irrigation and farm work. The temple is a venue for religious rituals like the royal costume procession of the Kate, New Year festival. Head Monk Dong Ba lives in Phuoc Dong village, Phuoc Hau commune, Ninh Phuoc district:“With the provincial authorities’ permission, we contributed money and labor to rebuild the temple. We invited Custom Committees of 11 villages to discuss the work. The rituals vary in temples and towers. Some practice the Rija Harei worshipping ceremony and some observe Kate or March festivals. All pray for the health and prosperity of local people”.

In the past few years, several Cham temples and towers in Ninh Thuan province have been restored and upgraded with the held of local contributions. With funding from the National Target Program on Relic Preservation and Restoration, Ninh Thuan province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has restored 3 clusters of Cham towers: the Po Klong Giarai towers of the late 12^th and early 13^th century, the Porome tower of the 17^th century and the Hoa Lai tower of the 19^th century. Phan Quoc Anh is the Department’s Director: “We built walls, gates and three-step stairs to protect the towers. We are now concerned about national relics like Po Inu Nugar temple. The people of Huu Duc village have asked the state to pay for 50% of the restoration. They and private enterprises will contribute the rest”.

Hoa Lai tower in Ninh Thuan

Ninh Thuan province has been restoring its ancient monuments, temples, towers and houses in order to promote local tourism. The province has cooperated with Binh Dinh and Nha Trang province to develop Cham village tours.

Lan Anh