Thap Hoa Lai, Hindu temple in Ninh Thuận, Vietnam
Thap Hoa Lai is a Hindu temple in Ninh Thuận consisting of three original brick towers that taper progressively in size toward their peaks. The towers stand as remnants of a larger Champa religious complex.
The temple rose during the Champa period as a significant center of regional worship. In the late 19th century, French colonists dismantled sections of the central tower to extract bricks for road construction projects.
The remaining structures feature intricate carvings of mythical creatures, natural motifs, and Kala monster mouth decorations at the vault entrances. These ornaments reflect the spiritual importance this site held for the Champa people.
The temple sits along National Route 1A, roughly 8 kilometers east of the border between Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan provinces. The location offers roadside accessibility for visitors traveling through the region.
Archaeological excavations between 2005 and 2012 revealed a large Champa temple complex containing roughly 20 architectural structures hidden beneath the surface. These buried remains demonstrate how extensive the original religious site once was.
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