Tourism remains strong at year's end

Ni Komang Erviani, Contributor The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Fri, 01/02/2009 10:29 AM | Bali 

Niether the financial crisis nor the Australian travel warning stopped tourists from spending Christmas and New Year in Bali, as the island once again broke its own record for highest number of visitors. 

According to a report by the Christmas and New Year holidays' task force , as many as 133,705 tourists, both domestic and international, entered Bali via the Ngurah Rai International Airport between the 22 and 30 of Dec., an increase from 125,000 in the same period last year. 

As many as 75,651 people passed through the domestic terminal, while 57,424 came on flights from overseas. 

I Gede Ketut Astana, manager-in-duty at the airport, said the influx in tourists reached its peak on the 29th of Dec., when a total of 15,193 tourists, 8,479 of whom were domestic tourists and 6,714 were foreign tourists, arrived in the island. 

"Apparently, despite the financial crisis, the numbers of foreign tourists remained high, especially from our main markets which are Japan, Korea, China and Australia," Astana said Wednesday. 

Domestic airlines responded to the high demand by adding an average of four flights a day during this year end holiday season, Astana said. During non-holiday seasons, the airport manages about 54 domestic flights per day. 

He said international airlines did not add any extra flights to their regular number of 40 per day. 

He said he expected the mass departure of domestic tourists this coming Friday and international tourists on Saturday. 

Head of the Bali Tourism Agency, I Gde Nurjaya, confirmed that Bali remained a sought-after holiday destination this new year, citing an average hotel occupancy rate of 68 percent throughout Bali. 

"Specifically, the hotels in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur have been quite full, with an occupancy rate of over 80 percent. Some hotels were even overbooked," he said. 

He added that hotels in the northern and eastern areas of Bali, such as the Buleleng Regency and Karangasem Regency, however, were only about 60 percent occupied, which means that Bali's tourism industry has not managed to lure tourists away from the famous destinations in southern Bali, such as Kuta. 

"So I would like to urge the tourism businesses again, especially travel agencies, to help spread out the distribution of tourists in Bali more evenly," he said. 

"Because Bali is not just Kuta, Sanur or Nusa Dua. There are other interesting places they can find all throughout Bali." 

Meanwhile, Kuta beach was very crowded on the days leading to New Year's Day. 

Melinda, 28, a tourist from Surabaya, East Java, said she decided to visit Bali because it was perfect for vacationing. 

"I love coming to Bali. There are beautiful places and all the souvenirs you can buy. Everything is here for you," she said. 

When asked whether she was worried about the security of the island, she was not worried. 

"I'm not afraid. I'm certain that Bali is a safe place to be," she said.

Kampoeng China in Cibubur

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 03/10/2008 1:24 PM

Kampoeng China (Chinese Village), located at Kota Wisata housing complex in Cibubur, East Jakarta, is full of miniatures resembling famous places in China -- Beijing's Forbidden City or the Great Wall, for example.

Everything is painted red, the most important color in Chinese culture. There are also plenty of dragons and other traditional Chinese beasts.

The site is free to the public, including the lion dance. Chinese dishes familiar in Indonesia -- such as siomay (fish cake) and noodles -- are for sale in the pavilions.

At the village you'll also find hundreds of small shops selling souvenirs, Chinese-style clothing, sandals, bags and lanterns, mostly imported from China.

The village is affordable and popular with children who have their pictures taken in front of the miniatures of China's tourism objects.

Djiwo Diharjo: Master craftsman, initiator of kris enterprise

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Bantul, Yogyakarta

The Javanese traditional kris -- a wavy, double-blade dagger, sometimes spelt keris -- has a significance that goes beyond its role as a weapon.

A kris can be a symbol of a man's social status and power. Some kris are believed to possess supernatural qualities and only certain people are allowed to make them. Only master craftsmen are believed to have the skills and knowledge required to make a kris with special magical powers.

Banyu Sumurup kampong is famous for producing kris -- both souvenir kris and kris that possess magical powers.

The kampong, which is located in Imogiri, Bantul, 25 kilometers south of Yogyakarta city, is home to 70-year-old master craftsman Djiwo Diharjo.

Djiwo is well known, not only among government officials around Indonesia, but also with foreigners.

Empu (master craftsman) Djiwo told The Jakarta Post his ability to make kris was a hereditary skill. This father of four is a descendant of a master craftsman from the Majapahit Kingdom.

Around the 13th century, the empu Supomo ran away to Imogiri. At that time, the Soreng Lono rebellion was underway in the Majapahit Kingdom and the life of the master craftsman was threatened.

He settled with his family at the edge of Thousand Hill area in Banyu Sumurup.

As a fugitive, the skill to produce weapons like the kris proved useful; it was never lost and has been passed down through the generations.

"I represent the 13th generation from empu Supomo," said master craftsman Djiwo.

Empu Djiwo said in order to produce a good kris that has magical powers, a master craftsman must be strong, undergo fasting and deprive himself of sleep to sharpen the ascetic and spiritual elements involved in making a kris.

"The ability to become a master craftsman is a blessing from God," he said.

He said before making an heirloom kris, a craftsman has to fast and present offerings of flowers or food when the iron is first struck. The aim is to put magic in the kris to make it powerful.

Making a kris may only be done once every sepasar (five days, according to the traditional Javanese calendar), he said.

"Every time I want to make a kris, I have to fast ... during that time I may not speak because a master craftsman has to remain quiet.

"If the rituals are broken, then the magical power will be lost," he added.

He said he needed at least eight months to complete an order for one kris.

"If it's a special kris, then it can take years."

In order to produce a kris, a high temperature is required as well as teak wood charcoal for heating the metal. One kris needs hundreds of folds of hot iron, sometimes even more than a thousand.

"The folding technique is important and requires special skill. But the most important thing is the sharpness of the kris and this can only be achieved through following appropriate behaviors," said empu Djiwo.

In 1972, concerned by the unemployment rate in Banyu Sumurup and the state of the economy, empu Djiwo trained 15 young men from the kampong to make iron and aluminum kris, warongko (kris sheaths) as well as how to make carved kris.

"At that time, many tourists were interested in buying kris for souvenirs and I thought the manufacture and sale of kris could help the local economy and the welfare of the people," he said.

The master craftsman established a cooperative tasked with collecting the work of the community and marketing the products. Despite being kept busy making sacred kris, he continued training village men in the art of kris and handicraft production. After several hard years of work, his efforts started to bear fruit.

In 1978, Djiwo staged a kris exhibition in Jakarta. In the same year he also held exhibitions in Semarang, Bali and Bandung.

The kris from Banyu Sumurup started becoming famous from then on and Djiwo continued to promote the kris through exhibitions.

In 1980, kris orders came from everywhere -- Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Brunei and many other nations. The name of Banyu Sumurup became internationally famous.

In 1985, Djiwo held a kris exhibition in the Netherlands, and in 1989 in Australia. In 1992 he went to the Middle East and in 2002 Djiwo exhibited in Brunei Darussalam.

Shop counters displaying Banyu Sumurup kris for sale have been opened in many places such as Sarinah, Blok M, Ancol, Bali, Semarang, Bandung and other cities.

"They are for sale in almost all cities in Indonesia that the exhibitions visited," he said.

Now, almost every household in Banyu Sumurup is now able to make kris; about 200 people are involved and kris manufacture has become a home industry in the kampong.

The marketing of kris is now facilitated by the Daerah Istimewa (special area) Yogyakarta provincial government and the Bantul Regency Government.

"Till 1990, all kris orders were met by the people from this village. They wanted to make different brands, but the orders came to the Banyu Sumurup community," he said.

"What's made me happy is that now almost all the local people can make a living from manufacturing kris and the unemployment rate is lower," he said.

In 1986, for his services in helping develop a home industry, Djiwo Diharjo was given three awards; from then manpower minister Sudomo, the minister for cooperatives Bustanil Arifin and the minister for industry Hartarto.

Kris Dancers in Bali

These days, the price of an heirloom kris can range from Rp 2.5 million (US$270) to tens of millions of rupiah.

"Everything depends on the order; whether the kris is covered in gold or not, if the handle is made of wood or ivory from an elephant tusk, and what level of magic power is required in the making of the kris."

The more power the kris has, the longer and more complex the creation process is, with the manufacturing time taking longer.

In an average year, Djiwo can get between six and ten orders for kris costing from Rp 2 million (US $215) up to hundreds of millions of rupiah.

"Completing a kris can take up two years, or even more ... making a kris requires time and care," he said.

Djiwo said most orders came from officials who ordered kris to improve their blessings, to increase their power and authority, or to ensure a peaceful heart.

"Most officials in Indonesia have ordered a kris," empu Djiwo said as he held a kris ordered by an official from Semarang, West Java, the price of which exceeded Rp 30 million (US$3,250).

Foreigners have also ordered kris from the master craftsman.

"Some of them have come from England, France and Holland and have ordered kris from me.

"The order from France was from a professor. When he visited me after the 2006 earthquake, he told me his life had become calmer since he bought a kris."

Hundreds of tourists enjoy a little taste of Central Java

The Jakarta Post

Hundreds of foreign tourists, mostly from the U.S., arrived in Central Java capital Semarang's Tanjung Emas port on board a Holland America Line Amsterdam cruise Friday.

According to Bobby from Merapi Tours and Travel agency, which guided the 687 tourists on their one-day tour in Central Java, the cruise stopped in Singapore on Thursday and will continue on to Bali. From the resort island, the cruise, which left from Seattle in the U.S., will depart to Australia.

"I'm so happy that I can visit Indonesia and enjoy a ride on board a steam-powered train in Ambarawa, especially since many souvenir traders offered their handicrafts. This is really interesting," German tourist Bunde Reinhard told The Jakarta Post.

The man, who is on a 62-day vacation on board the cruise with his wife, was one 120 tourists who decided to take a trip on the 1902 train. After the train trip, the tourists visited Borobudur Temple.

Other tourists decided to visit Semarang's sights, such as Sam Poo Kong temple, Blenduk church in Semarang's old town as well as learning about jamu (herbal medicine) and the making of batik.

"We will visit countries in Asia, Australia and Polynesia. This is a long trip," Bunde said, while smoking a cigar during a break at Jambu train station.

The nine-kilometer train trip, which traveled from Ambarawa to Bedono, was popular with the tourists, some of which got a close-up look at the train and its driver, Pujiono.

Along the way, tour guide Nurudin was busy handling their questions, explaining everything, from the town, the train to the region's coffee specialty.

"This is my first time taking an old train. I love antiques and this is so much fun," said tourist Wderanfarel of Washington.

"He's right, taking this train is really fun," said Belle, Wderanfarel's wife. (JP/Suherdjoko)

Rock 'n' roll marketing to promote Bali worldwide

Trisha Sertori, Contributor The Jakarta Post, Ubud

Jakarta-based band Hallo Mister has taken a novel approach to promoting Bali.

Band manager David Stone said the band recently released a royalties-free song and video clip to promote Bali via marketing's back door -- the music industry.

"It doesn't get any better than this", a bouncy little rock and roll number, is about the fun that can be had in Bali and the fact life doesn't get better than a week or two on the island of the gods.

"Bali has always been promoted for its traditions and culture. We wanted to add to that by showing the fun of Bali, the dancing and clubs as well," Stone said.

The song and its video clip have been given free to Bali and Indonesia for the purpose of promoting the area around the world on music video programs such as MTV Asia, Much Music, Canada and music shows in the UK, U.S., Europe and India.

"The song and video are royalties free so it makes it very easy for music shows, tourism expos, radio and the print media to use any part of the song and video. It can be cut to fill any available space in air time, and that makes it a very attractive package for media around the world," Stone said.

He said the high cost of buying commercial air time for promotional advertising campaigns was a major stumbling block for the promotion of Indonesia around the world.

"It doesn't matter how brilliant a promotional campaign is, the cost of getting the message out is always going to be prohibitive. Singapore spends around US$150 million a year to promote the country, but that's tough for Indonesia.

"Hallo Mister wanted to do something to try and get promotion for the country without the costs. We've done this as a gift to Indonesia and we believe that because of the royalties free status, the song and video will be picked up around the world," Stone said.

Some clever marketing planning has gone into the production of the video and song, with cartoon images and generic information that does not advertise any specific product or company, he said.

"As soon as you put merchandise or specific products into a video or song lyric for that matter, you are going to be coming up hard against the gatekeepers of programming. Specific products turn the video and song into advertising and it won't get the free run, which is the whole point.

"We have kept the video generic so it can be placed anywhere without programmers having to sift for potential hidden advertising in the work. It can also be cut just about anywhere, which again makes it very attractive as a filler for programs around the world."

Stone said the band has had great support from the Bali Tourism Board, which has endorsed the song as a promotional tool for the island.

Written by Hallo Mister's lead vocalist, Canadian singer song writer Gary Gray, the song forms part of a full album released recently in Ubud and Canggu by Hallo Mister.

The band is made up of four lads that love to play music, and do it well. They can be seen having a musical ball in Jakarta most weeks at Eastern Promise.

Their album is available at hotels, restaurants and record shops.

Stone said when people purchase the album as a souvenir, they will be doing their bit to promote Bali to the world.

Kemayoran's very own fairway to heaven

The Jakarta Post, Simon Pitchforth

I thought I'd have a well-earned rest from trying to get on the ruddy boatway for a while and instead paid my first-ever visit to Jakarta Fair last week.

However, this first entailed a busway ride from Blok M all the way up to the other terminus at Kota Station. The ride itself was fine but the rush-hour wait at the Blok M busway terminus was a touch unsettling.

The crush of humanity and high temperatures made me feel dizzy and the only way out was via the busway: Once you've committed yourself to the crush, there's no escape.

I felt as though I was in a scene from Schindler's List; to be fair, though, peak hours in London and Tokyo can be just as sardine-like. In Tokyo, they even crowbar you into subway trains with big sticks.

Back to Jakarta Fair; as I said, this annual festival has always managed to pass me by in previous years.

The fair used to be held at Monas (the National Monument), apparently, but its current location at the expansive Kemayoran fairground area is a little out of the way for me, as I'm sure it is for many other Jakartans, too.

That said, over two million people, it has been predicted, will visit Jakarta Fair this year. With that in mind I elected to visit the fair on a Monday evening when I thought it would be quieter.

Ha! Fat chance of that, as it turned out. It seemed to me as if the two million had all decided to show up at the same time and the whole place was a riot of people, color and noise.

God alone knows what it must be like on weekends. The fair itself covers a huge area, both indoors and outdoors, and it took me a couple of hours of traipsing around, promotions girls foisting snack foods on me all the while, to see everything.

*****

Jakarta Fair is basically a cross between a huge shopping mall and a funfair, with the accent on the shopping mall side. Everything you can possibly think of is on sale inside the cavernous halls of Kemayoran: motorbikes, furniture, watches, TVs, chocolate, electronic gadgets, bicycles, computers, clothes -- the lot, and most are at discounted prices.

Yes, take a break from the usual shopping malls and enjoy this annual opportunity to go and see ... a really huge shopping mall.

But it's not all about conspicuous displays of material consumption. Well actually it is, mainly, but there is some entertainment to enjoy, too. As well as a few funfair rides there is a tourist train that circumnavigates the site, which the kids were attracted to.

There's also a main stage hosting nonstop entertainment including plenty of slinky hipped dangdut singers; the dads seemed to love that one.

At the rear of the fair there's a motorbike safety course, which I think every Jakarta biker should be forced at gunpoint to sign up for, although it would probably take several centuries and several thousand hospitalizations to achieve that aim.

On a similar but slightly more dangerous biker note, I was amazed and amused to see that one of the fair's attractions was a good old-fashioned "wall of death".

I watched a few daredevils whizzing round and round before starting to feel dizzy and heading off for a feed.

As with any fair, there's plenty to eat here, from salmonella hot dogs and grotty, teeth-rotting sweets to the slightly more palatable fare available in the food court.

Boy, was it ever busy in Kemayoran, though; on weekends it must be even more so as family groups spend quality time together masticating on peanuts, drinking virulent blue soft drinks and entrenching their psyches even more deeply into the soft belly of the material consumer lifestyle as they ogle the products on sale together.

Don't come here if you're looking for a bit of rest and relaxation. I came away with a throbbing headache, although I quite enjoyed confronting the racket, hustle and cheap glitz of the Jakarta Fair experience.

It was somewhat like a concentrated version of the city itself.

A ticket for the fair will cost you a mere Rp 15,000. It's open from 3 p.m. to around 10 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends. You've still got a couple of weeks left to check it out.

A few aspirins and earplugs may come in handy, though.

Simon Pitchforth - http://metromad.blogspot.com/

Authentic souvernirs wanting at Jakarta tourist attractions

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta may be a city where you can find most things. But when it comes to souvenirs to remind you of your stay, things can get exceptionally difficult.

In the capital cities of neighboring countries, tourism operators and businesspeople have long sold souvenirs such as fridge magnets depicting Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Tower, Manila's shell handicrafts or the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.

Back home, the souvenir stalls at Jakarta's tourists spots offer little more than poor-quality T-shirts, paper or plastic fans bearing pictures of Nickelodeon cartoon characters and souvenirs from other provinces.

T-shirts decorated with a picture of a bajaj and the word "Batavia" can be bought for Rp 15,000 (about US$1.80) at garment wholesale markets like Pasar Pagi, Mangga Dua.

"Most people who buy these T-shirts are people from outside the city or those who want to make a donation," a trader said.

Poor quality material and unattractive designs have turned off many people, who see even the modest Rp 15,000 price tag as asking too much.

At the National Monument (Monas) -- a well recognized symbol of Jakarta that attracts foreign and local tourists -- many vendors sell souvenirs that have little or nothing to do with the capital at all.

Most vendors at the monument ground, instead, offer wooden statues of Lombok and Asmat.

"I don't think Jakarta really has something interesting that can be made into souvenirs. Besides, souvenir makers here seem not to be interested in making authentic souvenirs of Jakarta," said Ujang, one of the souvenir vendors.

Like most vendors at Monas, Ujang sells the wooden statues, which are supplied weekly by artisans based in Cileunyi, Bandung.

Ben Sukma, President of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies, said Jakarta had no natural attractions to offer.

"Unlike Bogor or other cities that have natural recreational sites, Jakarta can only count on man-made resorts, and that's what metropolitan cities usually count on," he said.

He added that governments and the private sector had to take leading roles in building tourist attractions.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of foreign tourists arriving in Jakarta in January 2007 was 92,117, while in December 2006 the number was 104,608. In April it reached 104,081, just 0.05 percent lower than March's figure of 104,133.

Sapta Nirwanda, the secretary general of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said low demand for authentic Jakarta souvenirs meant few businesses were willing to produce them.

Sapta said the ministry had yet to take up the lack of Jakarta-specific souvenirs as an issue because vendors selling souvenirs from outside Jakarta were helping tourism in other provinces.

"It's fine as long as they're still selling souvenirs from other provinces," he said.

Meanwhile, the city's tourism agency has blamed the private sector for not seriously promoting places of interest in Jakarta.

"People may know that Jakarta has Ragunan zoo and Ancol recreation park. But actually we also have other good places for having fun," said Eko Guruh, a Jakarta Tourism Agency spokesman.

But he said a lack of interest from the private sector to come up with investment had hampered tourism development in Jakarta.

Eko said that, for example, car or noodle factories in the capital could make great tourist attractions.

"We could take elementary school students on city tours to those factories and show them how to make noodles or cars," Eko said. "They can have fun while gaining more knowledge."

The Dutch architecture of Jakarta's Old Town and the fish markets in Angke, North Jakarta, could also be interesting to visitors, he said.

Terrorism fears shouldn't prevent Bali visit

By Dan Day, McClatchy Newspapers

KUTA, INDONESIA - Bali beckons.

In the aftermath of deadly terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005, Balinese artisans and merchants are eager for the people of the world to rediscover their enchanting island.

Although the U.S. State Department warns Americans about traveling in Indonesia, I ventured to Bali for a few days in January with my brothers and my older son.

Although worries of a terrorist attack never completely left me, I quickly succumbed to the island's tropical charms.

We split our time between magnificent beaches of the southwest and the enchanting central mountains. Here are some of the highlights.

Bali, a volcanic island in the Indonesian archipelago just south of the equator, is lush and exotic.

Along the coast at a resort in Seminyak, we indulged ourselves by watching the sun set gloriously into the Indian Ocean, the sky turning from blue to orange to crimson.

In the central mountains, we passed spectacular tiered rice paddies.

In Ubud, we saw Balinese children swimming gleefully in the river running through the valley nestling our hotel.

We also toured the Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana, or sacred monkey forest sanctuary. Paved walkways took us through a jungle preserve for long-tailed macaques -- cute monkeys with a hankering for bananas and little tolerance for close-up photography.

Everywhere we went was a shopper's paradise. The exchange rate between the American dollar and the Indonesian rupiah is generous, and the number of stalls and shops was overwhelming. They sell everything from beautiful batik weavings and silver jewelry to flip-flops and other trinkets.

Although prices are fixed at larger stores, bargaining seems to be one of Bali's national pastimes. The street merchants were the most aggressive in Kuta, following us out of their stalls and pestering us to make offers on T-shirts and necklaces.

The style was much more relaxed in Ubud and surrounding villages, where we watchedbasket-makers at work in their shops.

Some of the best time I spent was wandering through the villages around Ubud, where I got a close look at the exotic architecture of public buildings and family compounds. The people are mostly Hindu, and incense offerings were placed at thresholds to most homes and shops.

One morning, I encountered scores of children walking to school, all of them in uniform and the girls seemingly all in pigtails.

We were fortunate to hear a couple of performances by gamelan orchestras, a style of Indonesian music that depends heavily on drums, gongs and other percussion instruments. We saw only part of a traditional Balinese storytelling dance and left wanting to see more.

One of our last stops was at the international memorial to the victims of the Oct. 12, 2002, terrorist bombings in Kuta that killed 202 people from several countries. Attacks in 2005 at Kuta and Jimbaran beach killed 23 people, including three bombers.

It was a sobering experience to see a monument to the victims of despicable violence in such a beautiful place.

The people of Bali are trying to overcome the bombings and bring back tourists. Although security checks at Denpasar airport actually seemed less thorough than what American airports demand, our luggage and our taxi were searched before we could pass through the gate to our resort in Seminyak. At a restaurant in Kuta, security guards ran metal-sensing wands over us before we were escorted to our table.

Many of the merchants and ``taksi'' drivers politely asked where we were from. They were glad and a bit surprised to see Americans back in their shops.

I look forward to the pleasure of returning someday, for their sake and mine.

Quake-hit temples need years of repairs

The China Post , 2007/5/26

By Presi Mandari PRAMBANAN, Indonesia, AFP

Damage to one of Indonesia's most spectacular temple complexes caused by last year's devastating Java earthquake was so extensive that repairs will take at least five years, UNESCO says.

Some of the temples at Prambanan are threatening to topple and restoration of the entire Hindu compound, the largest in the country, will be slow and difficult, according to the UN culture agency.

"It's not just putting back the stones, like a facelift," said UNESCO's Himalchuli Gurung, adding that repair work has not yet started.

"There has been physical and structural damage, and there are a lot of internal cracks," she said.

One estimate has put the cost of rebuilding the UNESCO World Heritage site at US$5.8 million.

The extent of the damage has raised fears for the local economy as Indonesia marks one year since the May 27 quake, which destroyed villages and killed almost 6,000 on the main island of Java.

The ninth and 10th century temples -- dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma -- are located about 20 kilometers (10 miles) east of Yogyakarta, the main city in the quake zone.

Prambanan, like the nearby Borobudur temple compound which emerged unscathed, is one of the premier tourist attractions in Central Java, drawing 1.5 million visitors a year, according to the provincial tourism office.

Since the quake, an iron fence has been erected around the main group of temples and safety concerns mean visitors are barred from venturing inside.

"The problem is stones have been dislodged and some are hanging from the top. They could easily fall off," said Sutopo, an official at Prambanan.

He said cracks as wide as five centimeters (two inches) in the main temple devoted to Shiva have been plugged with candle wax to stop water seeping in and corrupting the stones.

Locals selling souvenirs said business has dwindled since the quake and some tourists leave dejected.

"Of course they are disappointed, they have already paid an entrance fee but are unable to go inside," said Eko Widianto, who has sold gifts here for about 20 years.

Titin Prihati, who sells cold drinks at the compound, said he was fearful about the future as sales have plummeted 60 percent.

"There were many more tourists coming before. The car parks were full, especially on public holidays. But now less tourists are coming and that means less income for me," said Prihati.

Repairs are expected to start later this year. Experts from UNESCO, the Indonesian government and other agencies have spent 12 months conducting extensive damage assessments, and devising an action plan.

Gurung said a big concern was the depth of cracks in the temples, which may have severely weakened their structure.

"When you look at the physical damage, falling stones, falling pinnacles, broken stones, we can place them back. But the serious part is the internal structural cracks, we don't know how deep (they are)," she said.

"Some temples have inclined, they are tilting," she added.

The Indian government is among those ready to help with restoration work, said T.S. Tirumurti, India's deputy chief of mission in Indonesia.

Professor Ostelio Remi, director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Jakarta, said "everything threatens to fall, from the base up to the top."

"It is a universal heritage, among the most beautiful in the world. It has to be saved, whatever the cost," added Remi, who has consulted with UNESCO on damage assessment.

Bali wants to step up cooperation with Malaysia in trade, culture

nstonline.com

Mohd Nasir Yusof, BERNAMA

DENPASAR (Bali), SAT.: Bali Governor Dewa Beratha hosted a banquet last night in honour of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, who are on a four-day state visit to Indonesia.

The banquest was held at the governor’s official residence, Jaya Sabha, a building with unique Bali architecture which was constructed in the 1870s.

Their majesties were entertained to a cultural performance by more than 100 dancers and a dance drama, Sekar Jaga, which is well-known on the island.

Dewa Beratha, in his speech, said Bali hoped to further enhance relations and cooperation with Malaysia in various fields like tourism, culture, trade and education for mutual benefit.

This popular resort island of 3.2 million people is also home to 150 Malaysian students furthering their studies in medicine, pharmacy and dentistry here.

Meanwhile, a specific and unique Balinese chess board is a special souvenir presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and his consort Raja Permaisuri Queen Nur Zahirah to commemorate their visit to Bali.

The royal couple were attracted to a medium-size chess board when they were visiting the Ida Bagus Marka gallery in Mas Ubud village, Gianyar, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported Friday.

The 48-member royal party included Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datok Zaenal Abidin Zain, embassy first secretary Mohd Pilus Ismail, official of the Malaysian royal household Tengku Farok Hussin, and honorary Malaysian consul in Bali Faisol H Hashim.

The royal couple has long been looking at the unique chess board and also looked at other handicraft articles. While they had the intention of buying the specific Balinese chess board, the host Ida Bagus Marka had already prepared it as a souvenir for the royal couple.

In their two-day visit to Bali within the framework of their four-day stay in Indonesia, King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and entourage also visited the Bali Convention Center (BBC), after which they returned to their hotel in Nusa Dua.

In the evening, they attended the dinner hosted by Governor Dewa Beratha and chairman of the Bali representatives council (DPRD) Ida Bagus Putu Wesnawa, in the company of their wives.

Chinese garden at Taman Mini a symbol of change

Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the scorching heat of East Jakarta last Wednesday, construction workers unloaded carved solid marble blocks, placing them under an unfinished 24-meter wide Chinese gate.

Several meters from the workers, children picnicked beside a two meter high stone statue of a lion, while their parents took pictures of the gate.

The whole scene would not be unusual in a housing complex in any Jakarta suburb. Anything remotely Chinese seems to sell like hotcakes these days.

But this Chinese garden project -- which has been running for little over five months -- is inside the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah amusement park. And it is something exceptional.

The project is worth noting in its scale and the sums of money put into it. But more important is how the garden project reflects the country's decision, post-Soeharto, to embrace Chinese culture.

"Every culture in Indonesia is represented by individual gardens in Taman Mini. We felt that it was about time that this window into Indonesia represented the Chinese culture," Indonesian Tionghoa Group (PSMTI) chairman Tedy Jusuf said last week.

After getting the nod from Taman Mini owner Yayasan Harapan Kita, which granted PSMTI an approximately one hectare lot at the back of the park, the group footed the bill for the groundbreaking and first phase of construction.

With plans boasting a mini Imperial Palace, a pagoda, a man -made lake and several other replicas of Chinese buildings, the project has needed some Rp 70 billion in investment.

Currently, visitors to the park can only see a wide gate bearing the sign "Indonesian Tionghoa Cultural Garden", two tall columns carved with Chinese mythical figures and two giant lion statues.

Several marble outdoor seats and smaller lion statues sit waiting to be placed somewhere permanent.

"We have only come up with around 10 percent of the investment required for the project. But, I believe that since the project is for a good cause, we'll be able to collect more donations," Tedy said.

The group also hopes the project, which is scheduled for completion by 2008, will attract more visitors to the 32-year old amusement park.

Visiting Chinese-themed amusement parks is nothing new for Jakartans.

Since 1999, when the government began trying to combat the anti-Chinese sentiment fostered under the New Order regime, private developers have been introducing their own versions of Little China.

New housing complexes, with their imported facades, have opened Chinese-styled food courts and bazaars, such as Kampung Cina in Cibubur, East Jakarta.

But building a Chinese garden inside Taman Mini, the pet project of former first lady Tien Soeharto, is altogether more interesting.

The late wife of Indonesia's ruler for 32 years first mulled the idea of building a miniature Indonesia in 1970.

Five years later, the 145-hectare amusement park was opened to the public, boasting several museums and displays of the culture of the country's then 26 provinces.

Chinese culture was most definitely not on the original park's list. Soeharto's regime forbade Indonesian Chinese from celebrating the lunar new year and other public displays of their culture.

The fact that a Chinese garden is welcomed in today's Taman Mini shows the park is keeping up to date with the country's political and cultural trends.

Despite claims that Taman Mini is a true representation of this culturally diverse country, the park that Soeharto built is more a symbol of the Java-centered Indonesia of his rule.

But, ethnocentrism aside, the park does serve as a public space in the capital.

These days, the park -- which will celebrate its 32nd anniversary on April 20 -- still boasts an average of 30,000 visitors on weekends and public holidays.

The park is still the best place for elementary students to explore traditional houses from all over the country. The park is also well known for its museums, including the gigantic inverted cone of the Purna Bhakti Pertiwi museum, which is filled with souvenirs from foreign countries.

The park is still a place where families and friends can roll out their plastic mats, unpack their picnic baskets next to the man-made lake and have lunch together.

Unfortunately, the park has seen very little in the way of upgrades. Taman Mini might have seemed sophisticated by 1970s standards, but it could do with a makeover today.