The Tra Kieu relics were found at Duy Son Village in Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province. Chinese annals refer to Tra Kieu as the seat of Sinhapura ( Lion city ), the first capital of the Champa kingdom, which was built at the end of the 4^th century in the reign of King Bhadravarman.

In 1927 – 1928, J.Y. Claeys conducted archeological excavations at this site, and the results confirmed that the descriptions in the Chinese annals were accurate. A collection of 43 works of Tra Kieu, mostly dating from 7^th to 8^th century and 11^th to 12^th century is now exhibited in the Tra Kieu gallery of the Museum. Other works are being kept in storage. 

1. Altar of Linga and Yoni.

 Date:  7^th – 8^th century

Material: Sandstone

ID No: [2.2]

Location: Tra Kieu

The altar comprises a Linga, a cylindrical pillar with a rounded top standing on a square pedestal, a Yoni. The Linga, or Lingam is a symbol for the worship of the Hindu deity Shiva and sometimes called Shivalinga. A Shivalinga has three parts which symbolize Brahma at the bottom, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva on the top. The pedestal has a small channel to drain the water poured on top of it by devotees. The Linga symbolizes both the creative and destructive power of Lord Shiva and it is considered most sacred. 

Linga can be translated as phallus making the Linga and Yoni sexual symbols of  fertility, quite popular in the worship of people living by agriculture.

2. Tra Kieu pedestal.

 Date:  7^th – 8^th

Material: Sandstone

ID No: [22.2]

Location: Tra Kieu

This pedestal is one of the masterpieces of Cham art.

- At the top is a Linga beneath which is an ablutionary cistern, called a Yoni.

- A circular register in the middle links the Linga and Yoni with the four – sided base. The Yoni and the register are in a symmetrical position.

- The square base has lively carvings with frieze figures onand adorned with lions at each corner.

The exact meaning of this pedestal is controversial . According to Przyluski, the friezes illustrated the legend of the foundation of Funan. However, Coedes rejected this theory and said that “the scenes depict various episodes of the life of Krishna, as recounted in the Bhagavata Purana, and were devised to be viewed counterclockwise”. Some Vietnamese scholars agree that these four sides represent an extract from the Ramayana epic – The wedding of  Princess Sita and Prince Rama.

3. Vishnu.

 Date: 11^th – 12^th

Material: Sandstone

ID No: [18.4]

Location: Tra Kieu

The deity depicted in this tympanum is Vishnu sitting cross - legged on the thirteen - headed snake Naga. His attributes include a lotus flower Padma ( broken ), a mace Gada, a conch  Shankha and a wheel chakra. 

In Hinduism, Vishnu is the Preserver or Maintainer, forming the Great Trinity with Shiva and Brahma. In the Rig Veda, Vishnu is the Sun god who strides through the universe in three giant steps. These probably correspond to three positions of the sun: sunrise, noon and sunset.

Ten commonly known avatars of this god are: Matsya - the fish, Kurma - the turtle, Varaha - the boar, Narasimha - the man lion, Vamana - the dwarf, Parashurama, Rama, Kishna, Buddha and Kalki.

4. Dancers pedestal.

Date:  7^th – 8^th century

Material: Sandstone

ID No: [22.5]

Location: Tra Kieu

Two sides of the pedestal depict Apsara dancers in the tribhanga and musicians playing Vina, a traditional musical instrument of India. At first sight, the dancers seem to wear only jewellery, but in fact their garments are transparent skirts, almost unrecognizable except for the flap between the legs and the knot of wide, short pleats at the lower back. Their necks, arms, and waists are elaborately decorated with rows of beads and their faces display a serene beauty.

Apsaras were the nymphs of Indra's heaven and partners of the Gandharvas in their love affairs. However, they were later known mostly for their dancing and singing. The whole sculpture is  a masterpiece of Cham art. 

5. Siva (or Dvarapala).

 Date:  7^th – 8^th century 

Material: Sandstone

ID No: [3.2]

Location: Tra Kieu

The sculptures [3.1] and [3.2] on display in the Tra Kieu gallery are a pair. Henri Parmentier identified them as sculptures of the god Shiva. However, Boisselier concluded they must be Dvarapalas, or Guardians based on the cord and other elements. The gods seems to have an air of serenity.