Ngo Van Doanh Van hoa Champa, NXB Van Hoa - Thong Tin, Ha Noi (Culture of Champa, Publishing Culture and Information, Ha Noi), 208 pages. 1994.

Phan Tam Khet ¹
Vietnamese works of quality, dedicated to Champa, and that combine rigor and knowledge of the sources are too rare to not only welcomes the publication of that of Ngo Van Doanh, published in 1994 in Ha Noi. It takes as its axis to explain the ubiquity of the Indian influence in the Cham culture.
In its first part, devoted to the administrative organization, he recalls that, according to Chinese annals Champa was cut into 4 prefectures, 38 regions and 100 districts from 300 to 700 households each. There is interesting material for discussion, knowing that the formalism presided territorial divisions of the Chinese tradition. The author also mentions the existence of a matriarchy. In a second part, where some cultural facts are studied, Ngo Van Doanh said that this was very early (III-IV centuries for Sanskrit), a company written culture. It also emphasizes the important role of music and dance in this civilization, probably at a popular level, though there is no sign that figured in the productions, it seems. The development of these arts was in fact closely linked to religion bhraman, as the author indicates in its third part.
The architecture, which is the subject of Part 4, has certainly undergone an evolution, especially in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in the wake of a Khmer influence, but this development is not yet clear. Cham artisans have, however, always kept an admirable sense of balance and rhythm of architectural masses. The author, in turn questioning the extraordinary strength of these huge blocks of brick aggregate them, makes several assumptions: cement of clay binder crushed bricks, then it takes the old idea (yet abandoned long) by firing the entire building, completed in one go.
Finally, the text covers the different styles, from the architecture and style of holding the Hoa Lai for the most accomplished, the Dong Duong establishing a break, while inaugurating the most fertile period until the sixteenth century. He notes in this respect an interesting contradiction between architectural dates established by Dr. Stern and those of J. Boisselier (for the style of Binh Dinh). This would be resumed.

¹writer.
Report translated from Vietnamese by Sean James Rose.