Culture Columns

Due to its sheer vastness Indonesia contains a rich variety of cultures. Jakarta, Indonesia's capital city and the center of national politics and economics, is the melting pot of many such cultures. Starting from the colonial era - when the city was known as Batavia - people came from all corners of the archipelago to this developing megacity in search of a livelihood. As a consequence Jakarta currently has a population of almost ten million people (official figure). The distance from the area of cultural origin, however, has resulted in a fading of some cultural features (especially for those families that have been living in Jakarta for multiple generations), but it has been 'enriched' by a distinct urban culture.

  • Indonesian Art: Chance to See the Presidential Palace's Paintings

    Indonesian Art: Chance to See the Presidential Palace's Paintings

    With the 72nd anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia approaching (on 17 August 2017), those who love art have a chance to enjoy the collection of paintings owned by the Indonesian state that normally decorates the walls within the Presidential Palace. In the National Gallery of Indonesia (located in Central Jakarta) a total of 48 paintings - created by famous Indonesian and foreign painters including Raden Saleh, Dullah, Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet, Trubus Soedarsono and Lee Man Fong - are displayed to the general public throughout the month of August.

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  • Indonesians Love Instagram, Which Star Has the Largest Following?

    Indonesians Love Instagram, Which Star Has the Largest Following?

    Indonesians love the Internet and love sharing their daily experiences or thoughts with their online friends. Photo-sharing application Instagram draws a huge audience from Indonesia. Reportedly, more then 45 million active users log on to Instagram every month in Indonesia, implying a more than 100 percent year-on-year (y/y) growth pace compared to the number of Indonesian Instagrammers one year ago. What explains this growth? Indonesia's huge population as well as steadily rising Internet and Smartphone penetration.

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  • Flora & Fauna Indonesia: Sumatran Tiger Population Threatened

    Flora & Fauna Indonesia: Sumatran Tiger Populations Threatened

    The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) unit in Indonesia said efforts to multiply Sumatran tiger populations (panthera tigris sumatrae) are constrained because those forest areas ("pockets of forest") that are the habitat of this endangered species has become increasingly small. Despite the challenges, Aditya Bayunanda, WWF Indonesia's Policy, Sustainability and Transformation Director, said the WWF continues to fight for the tiger. On Friday (28/07) WWF Indonesia launched the "double tiger" program (abbreviated as Tx2) in Jakarta.

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  • Tourism Sector Indonesia: 15 Million Foreign Tourists in 2017?

    Tourism in Indonesia: Gov't Sees 15 Million Foreign Tourists in 2017

    Players in Indonesia's tourism industry are optimistic that more than 15 million foreign tourists will visit Indonesia in full-year 2017. Based on the latest data from Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS), a total of 5.36 million foreigners went on holiday in the world's largest Archipelago in the first five months of 2017, up 20.9 percent (y/y) from foreign visitor arrivals in the same period one year earlier.

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