Between the 4th and 13th centuries, the Cham people built a religious center in the mountains of Vietnam’s central highlands, about 25 miles southwest of Hoi An. There were 70 temples here until the US Air Force bombed them during the Vietnam War. There are only 20 left, and most are slowly being restored. Visitors can enter some of the ruined halls to view sculpture and artifacts saved from the bomb-ravaged shrines. The walls of the halls are often streaked with light pouring in from windows set into roofs that have been added to protect the sculpture from the elements. I entered this hall as a double diagonal slash illuminated the texture of the ancient mossy brickwork. These diagonals not only energize what would otherwise be a static image – they also make us want to reach out and almost touch the past.