Today in Danang I went to the Cham Museum, which is one of the best collections of Cham art in the world (another exceptional museum that has this kind of work is the Guimet in Paris).
Cham is the ancient civilization of Vietnam. The center was not from here in central Vietnam. The civilization started in the 4th century AD and was contemporary with the Kmer culture of Cambodia (Ankor Wat), overlapping but not exactly the same dates.
The Chams had strong Hindu influence and had many depictions of Shiva and Vishnu. Their temples were also adorned with celestial dancers similar to those of Ankor Wat.
Personally, I think the Cham dancers are a little more enticing, the walls a little more decorated, and the designs on the walls a little more elaborate.
There are Cham ruins all around Vietnam, but the most famous are in My Son. I don't think I will make it there this trip, but it is supposed to be even more amazing than Ankor (but smaller).
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