THU THIEN TOWER

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Introduction to Thu Thien Tower

Thu Thien Tower is located in Thu Thien Hamlet, Tay Son Commune, Gia Lai Province. Compared with other towers in the region, Thu Thien Tower is not very tall; it stands about 20 meters high, built on a square plan with each side measuring 8.5 meters.

The main entrance faces east, while the other three sides are adorned with false doors. These false doors, resembling real ones, not only lend the tower a sacred character but also create architectural balance. Like other Cham towers in Gia Lai, Thu Thien Tower follows a unified style: a square body that rises in tiers, narrowing toward the summit, with corner towers at each level. These corner towers mimic the main tower, though most have now collapsed.

At Thu Thien Tower, the pilasters are plain and undecorated, and the vertical panels between them are not carved but instead stand out as strong projecting ridges. The emphasis on large, solid surfaces is also expressed in other architectural features: the arches of the false doors on the western, southern, and northern façades, as well as the main eastern doorway, are tall pointed arches shaped like giant spears; the pilaster heads form a strongly projecting cornice; and the small corner towers on each tier of the roof are no longer miniature towers but rather tiered pyramidal blocks.

Within its group, Thu Thien Tower belongs with Phu Loc Tower and Canh Tien Tower. Although smaller in scale, it still bears all the hallmarks of the Binh Dinh style of Cham architecture: a tall body, smooth and undecorated pilasters, vertical ridges on the wall surfaces, spearhead-shaped arches in three tiers over the main and false doors, tiered miniature corner towers stacked closely together, and unornamented cornices. In construction technique, it resembles Canh Tien and Phu Loc Towers, with patterns carved directly into stone, primarily floral motifs.

Closer observation reveals that elements typical of Binh Lam and Banh It Towers are minimal here, with simplified features fully developed: pilasters without vertical grooves, cornices entirely in stone, and the absence of decorative motifs. From an architectural perspective, Thu Thien Tower still retains some elegance reminiscent of Binh Lam and Banh It styles but predates Canh Tien and Phu Loc. For this reason, researchers date the tower to the first half of the 12th century.

Thu Thien Tower was designated a National Architectural and Artistic Monument on April 20, 1995.