A brief history of Vietnam from Cu Lao Cham
3000 years ago
Cu Lao Cham was first inhabited by the
Champa people.
From Cham the Champas colonized Central Vietnam. They were the first to
discover & export swallow's nests (salagne). They dug wells &
terraces which are still used today. In the 15th Century the Vietnamese; retreating south from the Chinese,
moved into Central Vietnam. This marked the end of
the Champa kingdom. Bt the 17th century Hoi An
was a successful port on the 'silk route'.
From the 18th to 20th centuries
Cu Lao Cham continued to thrive as an
important sea port. Trade ships from the pacific would anchor on the leeward
side to: make repairs, stock up on water, wood, & to trade; Aloe, camphor, vegetable oil, basil
& swallow's nests. Cu Lao Cham was given a strong Vietnamese identity. Most
temples, pagodas and shrines were built by Vietnamese
during the 18th - 20th centuries to reflect a strong sense of culture & nationality.
During
& after the Vietnam War (1960-75) Cu Lao Cham became a place of refuge for
Vietnamese families in the central region who wanted to escape the draft. Ironically, today,
the hill top areas of Cu Lau Cham are controlled by the military & most of the homes on
Cu Lao Cham have a shrine
dedicated to family members who died in the war. These are different to ancestral shrines
on the mainland because they include a portrait photographs of dead relatives.