Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum – Jakarta, Indonesia

The brainchild of Madam Tien Soeharto, the late Indonesian first lady, Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum houses more than 10,000 gifts from the 33 years of President Soeharto's rule. This museum is located outside Jakarta, so don’t go if you don’t have a particular interest in seeing what a man can amass in more than 30 years of power.

Outside: Hosted on the land that belonged to Soeharto family, the museum is the largest in Indonesia. The museum resembles a tumpeng (rice cone), which is the centerpiece of Javanese ceremonial banquets and which symbolizes gratitude, welfare and eternity. Nine small tumpengs surround the large one. The museum is adjacent to Taman Mini Indonesia, an amusement park with full-scale reproductions of traditional Indonesian houses. Outside the museum, one can see a big villa now closed (Soeharto was planning to live here, but the government did not allow him), a garden with all sorts of fruit trees, a pond for fishing, the Indonesia warship that served during the 1963 mission of liberating Irian Jaya, three old Soeharto’s cars and one Harley Davidson.

Inside: The inside main hall is huge, on three level and can host 100,000 people. When I visited, I was the only visitor! Amongst hundred of paintings, artifacts, and art objects from all over the world, one highlight is a Chinese princess's jade bed. It is pure cult of personality! (Last visited 12/2005)

National History Museum – Jakarta, Indonesia

In the base of the National Monument or Monas (a 132m-high column towering over Merdeka Square and dubbed “Soekarno’s final erection”), the National History Museum is a diorama exhibit hosted in a windowless hall in decrepit conditions. In early 2009 the mayor of Central Jakarta asked to take over the management of the monument to improve its conditions.

Outside: This extravagant monument is Jakarta’s primary landmark, a symbol of Indonesia’s independence and strength, erected in 1961. The monument was not opened until 1975, when it was inaugurated by Soeharto. The column is topped with a sculpted flame, gilded with 35kg of gold leaf. The highlight of the visit is to take the lift to the top for dramatic and smoggy views of Jakarta.

Inside: The museum consists of 48 diorama windows illustrating Indonesian history, an attempt to reinvent the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural history of the thousands Indonesian islands as a nationalistic struggle for unity that had been ongoing since the Bronze age. The numerous uprisings against external invaders are overstated, Soekarno is barely mentioned, and the 1965 coup is whitewashed. But this museum is part of the cultural history of the country, hence worth visiting. (Last visited 12/2005)

Museum Nasional Indonesia – Jakarta, Indonesia

The Museum Nasional is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the vast and diverse culture of the many Indonesian islands. Although it is the best museum in Indonesia and one of the finest in Southeast Asia, its enormous collection of cultural and art objects is exhibited in the 1800-style, with many objects cramped in big window closets, most with no dates or information. The majority of the sculptures have no signs. For these reasons, I strongly recommend to join a guided tour to get a better understanding of the history and art of Indonesia (guided tour in English only Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 am and last Sunday of every month at 10:30 am).

Outside: In 1778, a group of Dutch intellectuals established a scientific institution to promote research in the field of arts and sciences. One of the founders donated a building and a collection of objects and books, which was the start of the museum and library. In 1862 the Dutch East Indian government decided to build a new museum. The Museum was officially opened in 1868 and became known as Gedung Gajah (Elephant House), due to the bronze elephant statue in the front yard donated by the Thai King. The building was also called Gedung Arca (House of Statues), due to its vast collection of statues on display. In 1962, the museum was handed over to the Indonesian government. Since 1979 it has been called Museum Nasional.
Inside: The museum displays historical artifacts of Indonesian culture that date as far back as the Stone Age. The museum has an excellent collection of Chinese ceramics dating back to the Han, Tang and Ming Dynasties, as well as bronze and gold collections from the Indonesian classical period. The collection of statues, mainly Hindu gods and goddesses, is also impressive. The most fascinating room is the Treasure Room (and also the only one with air-conditioning!), a collection of imperial gold and silver objects, adorned with precious stones. Don’t miss the statue of the goddess of transcendental wisdom Prajnaparamita, adorned with of jewels from head to toes. The textile section is also unique, with its old batik and Indonesian garments. A batik is a hand-made drawing on white cotton or silk with hot wax, which resists dye. After dyeing, the wax is removed, showing the pattern of the undyed areas. This process is repeated with as many as five colors until the desired pattern is achieved. (Last visited 12/2005)