Thursday, September 12, 2013

Bukittinggi : a tourist city in West Sumatera

Bukittinggi

Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi formerly known as Fort de Kock and was once dubbed as Parijs van Sumatera except of Medan. The city has been as a the capital of Indonesia during the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia. Before became the capital of PDRI, the city has become the center of government, both at the time of the Dutch East Indies or the Japanese colonial period.
Bukittinggi is also known as a tourist city in West Sumatera. It is siblings with Seremban in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Visited tourist spot is the Jam Gadang, a clock tower located in the heart of the city as well as a symbol for the city.
The city has its origins
served as the basis for a
in five villages that
marketplace.
The city was known as Fort de Kock in colonial times in reference to the Dutch outpost established here in 1825 during the Padri War. The fort was founded by Captain Bauer at the top of Jirek hill and later named after the then Lieutenant Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Hendrik Merkus de Kock. The 1st road connecting the region with the west coast was built between 1833 and 1841 via the Anai Gorge, easing troop movements, cutting the costs of transportation and providing an economic stimulus for the agricultural economy. In 1856 a teacher-training college was founded in the city, the 1st in Sumatra, as part of a policy to provide education opportunities to the indigenous population. A rail line connecting the city with Payakumbuh and Padang was constructed between 1891 and 1894.
During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in World War II, the city was the headquarters for the Japanese 25th Army, the force that occupied Sumatra. The headquarters was moved to the city in April 1943 from Singapore and remained until the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
BukittinggiDuring the Indonesian National Revolution, the city was the headquarters for the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia from December 19, 1948 to July 13, 1949. During the 2nd 'Police Action' Dutch forces invaded and occupied the city on December 22, 1948, having earlier bombed it in preparation. The city was surrendered to Republican officials in December 1949 after the Dutch government recognized Indonesian sovereignty.
The city was officially renamed Bukittinggi in 1949, replacing its colonial name. From 1950 until 1957, Bukittinggi was the capital city of a province called Central Sumatra, which encompassed West Sumatra, Riau and Jambi. In February 1958, during a revolt in Sumatra against the Indonesian government, rebels proclaimed the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia in Bukittinggi. The Indonesian government had recaptured the town by May the same year.
A group of Muslim men had planned to bomb a cafe in the city frequented by foreign tourists in October 2007, but the plot was aborted due to the risk of killing Muslim individuals in the vicinity. Since 2008 the city administration has banned Valentine's Day and New Year's celebrations as they consider them not in line with Minangkabau traditions or Islam that can lead to "immoral acts" such as young couples hugging and kissing.
Bukittinggi is divided in three subdistricts, which are further divided into five villages (nagari) and 24 kelurahan. The subdistricts are Guguk Panjang, Mandiangin Koto Selayan, and Aur Birugo Tigo Baleh.
Bukittinggi is connected to Padang by road; a dysfunctional railway line also exists. For inner-city transport, Bukittinggi employs a public transportation system known as Mersi and IKABE that connect locations within the city. The city preserves the traditional horse-cart widely known in the area as Bendi, although the use is limited and more popular with tourists, both domestic and foreign.
Notable nearby
and the Harau Valley.
destinations include Lake Maninjau
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Related Sites for Bukittinggi

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