Khương Mỹ

Three towers from the late 9th and early 10th century in Tam Xuân commune, Núi Thành district. They were recognised as a national monument in 1989. They are built in a row running from north to south with their entrances facing east; each has one real opening and five false doors, and the roof is made up of three diminishing tiers, each repeating the one below in reduced form, topped by a sandstone finial. The chief treasure of the complex is the carving worked directly into the fired brick: the walls and arches are covered all over with plant ornament whose leaf tips curl, laid out in layers. Art historians consider Khương Mỹ a transitional link between the heavy, severe style of Đồng Dương and the soft, rounded style of Trà Kiệu, and sometimes single it out as a separate school of the early tenth century. The towers stand right by the road a couple of kilometres from the town of Tam Kỳ. The towers stand right by the road a couple of kilometres from the town of Tam Kỳ, so they are easy to see during a short stop on the way. The main thing here is the carving worked directly into the fired brick, which is best examined close up. Admission is free, and there are hardly any tourists.

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