The religious center of the capital of the ancient Champa Kingdom in Vietnam holds many mysteries for modern visitors. Nguyen Thi Thuy Anh and Zhang Jianhua report.

Local and foreign visitors to the My Son Sanctuary, located some 650 km south of Hanoi, still marvel at the remarkable architectural ensemble that developed over a thousand years from the fourth to the 13th century.

The sanctuary, which has been declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations, presents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in an important phase of Vietnam's history.