By: Tasa Nugraza Barley
Members
of the Indonesian Historical Community taking a break from exploring
the city to snap some photos. The community runs tours to introduce
Jakartans to their nation's history and culture. (Photos courtesy of
Komunitas Historia Indonesia)
Dear Jakarta: Forget Shopping, and Live History!
It
is not easy to challenge the idea that your average middle-class
Jakartan is mostly just interested in shopping and eating out.
But
there is at least one band of serious young people out there who are
working to change this. The members of Komunitas Historia Indonesia
(Indonesian History Community) want to get people out of malls and
stores and take them to where the culture is.
The founder of the rapidly growing group, Asep Kambali, said he sees most young people as self-indulgent and materialistic.
"They have no interest in learning Indonesian culture and history. It's so sad," Asep said.
He
and other members believe that an appreciation of national culture and
history is important to give citizens a sense of place and identity.
In
this spirit, the Indonesian History Community, which was established on
March 22, 2003, is committed to teaching the next generation to
understand and respect national history and heritage.
They do
this by organizing cultural tours to introduce people to the rich
history of the city and surrounding areas. The community currently
comprises 28 main volunteers and hundreds of supporters.
Asep and other volunteers routinely post details of upcoming day trips on social networking sites like Facebook and Multiply.
The
latest project is an antidote to what they see as the excesses of the
recent Chinese New Year celebrations in Jakarta, with its focus on red
envelopes and gold-foil wrapped gifts.
"If most people went to
malls and other fancy places to celebrate the Chinese New Year, then we
want to do something different," said Adrianus Waranei Muntu, an active
member of the community.
To this end, the community is organizing a tour to see a side of Chinese-Indonesian culture that most people never experience.
"We believe that Chinese-Indonesians are also part of this country and they deserve to be recognized," Adrianus said.
The
historical society has invited interested citizens to join them on the
Tangerang Heritage Trail on Saturday for a multi-stop cultural tour,
exploring the rarely seen Chinese culture in Tangerang.
Adrianus
said that although most people readily associate Chinese-Indonesian
culture with places like Glodok and Kota Tua, it was time to head out
of the city.
"This time we want to go to somewhere different," the 21-year-old said.
The
trip, which starts shortly after 7 a.m., will focus on giving
day-trippers a true sense of the culture of the outlying area and
surroundings by taking the train to Tangerang and then traveling by
angkot , (public minivan) once in Banten.
Those interested in joining the tour should meet at Museum Fatahilah in Kota Tua between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. for registration.
A small admission fee of Rp 65,000 ($7) will cover the cost of train tickets, angkot travel, water and lunch.
Adrianus
said the use of public transportation would help ensure that people on
the tour were given a sense of the everyday lives of those living and
working in and around Tangerang.
Those attending the event
will also be given a historical handout, which will help explain the
history and culture of Tangrang, as well as a souvenir pin. There will
also be a souvenir T-shirt available for Rp 40,000.
The trip will feature a visit to several of Tangerang's Buddhist temples, along with stops at local farming communities.
One
of the must-see spots in Tangerang is the Buddhist temple, Boen San
Bio, which was built in 1689. Adrianus said that the temple is one of
the oldest in the community.
Boen San Bio, which is located
next to Pura Kerta Jaya Hindu temple, is a clear example of how
Tangerang's different religions live side by side in harmony.
"This area is another symbol of pluralism in Tangerang," Adrianus said.
The next stop on the trail is the village of Sewan Kongsi.
Adrianus
explained that the name of the village came from the Indonesian word
sewa (rent) because decades ago the local farmers leased the land from
the colonial Dutch.
Adrianus said a highlight of the trip will
be the chance for visitors to interact with local residents in order to
get a sense of their lives.
For those who usually wouldn't
stray far from the city limits, a trip to Tangerang with the historical
community has the possibility to be a unique and eye-opening
experience.
"It's going to be unforgettable for all participants," Adrianus promised.
Before
returning to Jakarta, Oey Tjin Eng, a respected artist from the
Tangerang community, will conduct a short presentation. Participants
will be given the opportunity to ask him all their cultural questions.
Asep
said the historical community aims to work as a bridge between young
people and Indonesian culture and history, reaching out to those who
normally shrug of history as tedious.
"Instead of lecturing
people about culture and history inside the class, we take them out to
see cultural and historic places," Adrianus said.
"Learning history and culture shouldn't always be boring."
KOMUNITAS HISTORIA INDONESIA (KHI)
Komunitas Peduli Sejarah dan Budaya Indonesia
Phone : (021) 3700.2345, Mobile: 0818-0807-3636
E-mail/FB : komunitashistoria@
Mailing list: http://groups.
Homepage : http://www.komunita
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