Giant Makaras in Museum of Cham Sculpture.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Museum of Cham Sculpture

Top choice in Danang


This small but important museum contains the world’s largest collection of Cham artefacts, housed in buildings marrying French-colonial architecture with Cham elements. Founded in 1915 by the École Française d’Extrême Orient, it displays more than 300 pieces including altars, lingas (stylised phalluses representing Shiva), garudas (griffin-like sky beings), apsaras (heavenly nymphs), Ganeshes and images of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu, all dating from the 5th to 15th centuries. Explanations are slim. The audio guide is 20,000d (you'll need to show ID, passport or driving licence).

The treasures come from Dong Duong (Indrapura), Khuong My, My Son, Tra Kieu and other sites. There are also exhibits focusing on Cham culture today, with contemporary artefacts and photos of the Kate Festival.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Danang attractions

1. Dragon Bridge

0.22 MILES

This wonderfully wacky bridge takes the form of a ginormous, colour-changing dragon, weaving its way across the Han River. If that wasn't attention…

2. Danang Cathedral

0.47 MILES

Known to locals as Con Ga Church (Rooster Church) because of the weathercock atop the steeple, the candy-pink, photogenic Danang Cathedral was built for…

3. Convent of St Paul de Chartres

0.47 MILES

You can't enter through the convent gate on the road behind the cathedral, but it's worth taking a look at the church architecture from the outside. The…

4. Phap Lam Pagoda

0.51 MILES

This pagoda has three giant Buddha statues in the courtyard, and an equally imposing large gold one in the temple.

5. Ho Chi Minh Museum

0.92 MILES

Despite its huge grounds, this museum is typically unenlightening for a site venerating Ho Chi Minh. At the front is a display of the usual US, Soviet and…

6. My Khe

1.71 MILES

Across the Song Han Bridge, My Khe is fast becoming Danang’s easternmost suburb. In the early morning and evening, the beach fills up with city folk doing…

7. My An & Non Nuoc

1.95 MILES

Much of the central section of Danang Beach has been parceled off for luxury resort developments. The inland side of the coastal road has a scattering of…

8. Chapel

4.47 MILES

Many of the tombs of Spanish and French soldiers are below a chapel that’s located behind Tien Sa Port.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "vietnam/central-vietnam/danang/attractions/museum-of-cham-sculpture/a/poi-sig/1154438/357869",
      "destination": "Danang",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Vietnam",
      "city": "Danang",
      "position": "superzone"
    }