Bukittinggi My Beloved Town

AinilHuda

Bukittinggi My Beloved Town

Bukittinggi is a city located at the heart of West Sumatera. As one of the largest city in West Sumatera, Bukittinggi has population of 91.000 people. This city is locked by 3 mountains (Singgalang Mount, Marapi Mount, and Sago Mount). Once, Bukittinggi had been called as Fort de Kock or Parisj van Sumatra. Also, Bukittinggi had been a capital city of The Republic of Indonesia on PDRI (Eng: Emergency Government of The Republic of Indonesia) time . The city is the place where the founding father, Moh. Hatta (became the first vice president of The Republic of Indonesia) born.

Since the Dutch colonized Indonesia, Bukittinggi became the base defense of the Dutch military. This city, at that time had been named as Fort de Kock, because the defensive area is concentrated here. Lieutenant Governor-General Hendrik Markus de Kock were the one who found the city of Bukittinggi and built the Fort de Kock as the defensive act against the Minangkabau’s at Paderi War, 1825. In 1856, the first teacher-training school in Sumatera was built in Bukittinggi. This school famous with name, Kweekschool. When Japan taking control over Indonesia, Bukittinggi still became the defensive fort of Sumatera. Once, the people urged to built a hole for the Japanese by doing romusha. This hole or tunnel is usually called as “Lubang Jepang” (Eng: Japanese Hole). After Indonesia got his independent, Dutch still making some uproar around Indonesia Territory by doing some Aggression in Indonesia. This causing the capital of Indonesia had been moved to Bukittinggi. In this city, the Emergency Government of The Republic of Indonesia established.

Bukittinggi remain the capital cityof Indonesia from 19 December 1948 to 13 July 1949. Bukittinggi had been the capital of Central SumateraProvince from 1950 to 1957. After the Province of West Sumateraformed, Bukittinggi became the de facto capital in 1958. But, the capital then relocated to Padang in 1978. Bukittinggi is divided into three subdistrict (in Indonesia commonly known as: kecamatan). They are Guguk Panjang, Mandiangin Koto Selayan, and Aur Birugo Tigo Baleh. There are many tourist objects can be found in Bukittinggi, such as. 1.Ngarai Sianok (Eng: Sianok Canyon)

2. Lubang Jepang (Eng: Japanese Hole)-a bunker located near The Sianok Canyon

3. Jam Gadang 

(Eng: The Big Clock)-a clock tower situated in the middle of the city, built at the Dutch time in 1926. 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”

4. Pasar Atas (Eng: Upper Market) and Pasar Bawah (Eng: Lower Market)-the traditional market of Bukittinggi

5. Rumah Kelahiran Bung Hatta (Eng: The Born House of Moh. Hatta)

6. Fort de Kock

  7. Taman Margasatwa Kinantan (Eng: Kinantan Wildlife Park)-zoo and museum of Minangkabau, the location of the museum also known as Taman Bundo Kanduang (Eng: Bundo Kanduang Park), from this park we can go to Fort de Kock by crossing Jemabatan Limpapeh (Eng: Limpapeh’s Bridge)

8. Plaza Bukittinggi-a mall near Jam Gadang There are various transport here in Bukittinggi, from taxi until public transport. There also a traditional transport called Bendi. Bendi is a transport where a horse being the machine.