my lovely city is..... BUKITTINGGI

bendi is tradisional transportasion in bukittinggi

Ini lah wajah Kota Bukittinggi, meskipun tak tergolong kota besar, namun Bukittinggi telah mampu melihatkan eksistensinya sebagai salah satu kota utama di indonesia,hal ini terbukti dengan banyaknya wisatawan yang berkunjung ke Bukittinggi sebagai kota tujuan wisata utama di indonesia, dan Bukittinggi juga sering di gunakan sebagai tempat dilangsungkannya pertemuan dan konferensi tingkat nasional dan internasional. Bukittinggi juga tampil sebagai kota pusat pelayanan kesehatan serta pusat dagang dan jasa dengan kualitas pelayan yang baik.
Bukittinggi juga telah melahirkan nama2 besar seperti Proklamator Bung Hatta, Sutan Syahrir, H Agus Salim, Achmad Kariem, Buya Hamka, dan lain-lain........

Kedepan Bukittinggi diprediksikan sebagai salah satu kota terbaik dan kota yang paling diminati untuk dikunjungi dalam kops international,

Berbanggalah orang2 yang lahir di Bukittinggi

kota sejuta umat, modern, berbudaya, beradat dan bermartabat..........
hehehe :D

LET'S BACK

A.     HISTORY

The city has its origins in five villages which served as the basis for a marketplace. The city was known as Fort de Kock during 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 first 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 (Kweekschool) was founded in the city, the first in Sumatra, as part of a policy to provide educational 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 which occupied Sumatra. The headquarters was moved to the city in April 1943 from Singapore, and remained until the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

During the Indonesian National Revolution, the city was the headquarters for the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) from December 19, 1948 to July 13, 1949. During the second '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 (PRRI) 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, and can lead to "immoral acts" such as young couples hugging, kissing and not to mention fornicating.

B.     ADMINISTRATION

Bukittinggi is divided in 3 subdistricts (kecamatan), which are further divided into 5 villages (nagari) and 24 kelurahan. The subdistricts are:

1.      Guguk Panjang

2.      Mandiangin Koto Selayan

3.      Aur Birugo Tigo Baleh.

C.     TRANSPORTATION

Bukittinggi is connected to Padang by road, though a dysfunctional railway line also exists. For inner-city transport, Bukittinggi employs a public transportation system known as Mersi (Merapi Singgalang) and IKABE that connect locations within the city. The city also still preserves the traditional horse-cart widely known in the area as Bendi, although the use is limited and more popular to be used as vehicle for tourist, both domestic and foreign.

D.     TOURISM

It is a city popular with tourists due to the climate and central location. Attractions within the city include:

1.        Ngarai Sianok (Sianok Canyon) 

 ( picture : sianok canyon )

2. Lobang Jepang (Japanese Caves) - a network of underground bunkers & tunnels built by the Japanese      during World War II

3.        Jam Gadang - a large clock tower built by the Dutch in 1926. 

Jam Gadang (literally "Massive Clock") is a clocktower and major landmark of the city of Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located in the centre of the city, near the main market, Pasar Atas, and is a tourist attraction. There is something unique from this clock. The numbers from the clock are all Roman Number. But the number 4 at the clock is mistakenly as “IIII”, where it must be “IV”. 

The structure was built in 1926 during the Dutch colonial era, as a gift from the Queen to city's controleur. It was designed by architects Yazin and Sutan Gigi Ameh. Originally a rooster figure was placed on the apex, but it was changed into a Jinja-like ornament during theJapanese occupation of Indonesia. Following Indonesian independence, it was reshaped to its present form resembling traditionalMinangkabaun roofs (see Rumah gadang). It is said to have cost 3,000 Guilder.

4.        Pasar Atas and Pasar Bawah - traditional markets in downtown.

( picture : Mosque in central Bukittinggi )

5.      Taman Bundo Kanduang park. The park includes a replica Rumah Gadang (literally: big house, with the distinctive Minangkabau roof architecture) used as a museum of Minangkabau culture, and a zoo. The Dutch hilltop outpost Fort de Kock is connected to the zoo by theLimpapeh Bridge pedestrian overpass.

*  Rumah gadang (Minangkabau: "big house") - or more correctly called by Minangkabau people rumah bagonjong(Minangkabau: "house with horn-like roof") - are the traditional homes (Indonesian: "rumah adat") of the Minangkabau. The architecture, construction, internal and external decoration, and the functions of the house reflect the culture and values of the Minangkabau. A rumah gadang serves as a residence, a hall for family meetings, and for ceremonial activities. With the Minangkabau society being matrilineal, the rumah gadang is owned by the women of the family who live there - ownership is passed from mother to daughter. 

The houses have dramatic curved roof structure with multi-tiered, upswept gables. Shuttered windows are built into walls incised with profuse painted floral carvings. The term rumah gadang usually refers to the larger communal homes, however, smaller single residences share many of its architectural elements.

A government building which contains elements of the rumah gadang style

* Limpapeh bridge is a bridge in over Ahmad Yani street, Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia. This bridge has a length of 90 meters and width of 3.8 meters. Fort de Kock fortification is connected to the Bukittinggi zoo by this bridge.

6.      Museum Rumah Kelahiran Bung Hatta (Museum of Bung Hatta Birthplace) - the house where Indonesian founding father Mohammad Hatta was born, now a museum.