Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

About

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) or "Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park" (literally translated) is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. It has an area of about 250 acres (1.0 km²). The park is a synopsis of Indonesian culture, with virtually all aspects of daily life in Indonesia's 26 (in 1975) provinces encapsulated in separate pavilions with the collections of Indonesian architecture, clothing, dances and traditions are all depicted impeccably. Apart from that, there is a lake with a miniature of the archipelago in the middle of it, cable cars, museums, Keong Emas Imax cinema, a theater called the Theatre of My Homeland (Theater Tanah Airku) and other recreational facilities which make TMII one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.

Since 2007 Taman Mini Indonesia Indah launched new logo with branding slogan Pesona Indonesia ("Indonesian Charm").

History

The idea of presenting Indonesia in a small scale was conceived by former Indonesian first lady, Siti Hartinah, better known as Tien Suharto. It came about at a convention on 8 Cendana Street at March 13, 1970. Through this recreational site, she hoped to cultivate national pride in more Indonesian people. A project called "Indonesian Miniature Project" was started by Harapan Kita Foundation in 1972. The concept of this culture-based recreational area was inspired by Indonesia's unparalled natural riches and local folk diversity.

Venues of Indonesian Provinces

Since each Indonesian province maintains its own unique and distinct cultures, shelters, attire and dialects, TMII built a model of each of the houses from Indonesian provinces. TMII attempted not only to reconstruct the homes of the various provinces, but also to create a realistic model of the environment and shelters of the various people of Indonesia. The venues, which are situated around the main lake in a similar fashion to the different islands of the Indonesian archipelago, are thematically divided into six areas in respect to the main islands of Indonesia; Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku and Papua. Each pavilions featured in typical vernacular Indonesian architecture of each provinces. Examples of Indonesian traditional vernacular houses are: Joglo and Omah Kudus Javanese houses of Central Java and Yogyakarta pavilion; Minang Rumah Gadang of West Sumatra pavilion; Malay houses of Jambi and Riau provinces; Torajan Tongkonan and Bugis house of South Sulawesi pavilion; and Balinese house compound with intricately carved Candi Bentar split gate and Kori Agung gate.

It also displays various traditional costumes, wedding costumes, dance costumes, also ethnography artifacts such as weapons and daily tools, models of traditional architecture are in display to describes the way of life of its people. Each provinces pavilions also equipped with small stage, amphitheatre or auditorium for traditional dance performances, traditional music performances or traditional ceremonies that usually held in Sundays. Some of these pavilions also equipped with cafeterias featuring traditional Indonesian cuisines and also souvenir shops offering various handicrafts, t-shirts and souvenirs.

Since 1975 until 2000s, the original design of TMII consist of a model of the houses from the 27 provinces of Indonesia, including East Timor. But after the secession of East Timor from Indonesia in 2002, the East Timor pavilion changed its status to become the Museum of East Timor. Also since Indonesia now consist of 33 provinces, currently the new province pavilions of Bangka Belitung, Banten, West Sulawesi, North Maluku, Gorontalo, and West Papua is being built in northeast part of the park.

After the recognition of Indonesian Chinese culture as the integral part of Indonesian culture in 2000, the new Indonesian Chinese pavilion and a Confucian temple was built within the park.

Gardens and Parks

Spherical cage Bird Park.

There are about ten gardens spread within TMII complex, but most are located primarily on the north and northeast side of the main lake:

• Orchid Garden
• Medicinal herbs Garden
• Cactus Garden
• Jasmine Garden
• Keong Emas (Golden Snail) Flower Garden
• Fresh Water Aquarium
• Bekisar (a type of rooster) Garden
• Bird Park
• Taman Ria Atmaja Park, stage and music performances
• Taman Budaya Tionghoa Indonesia, an Indonesian Chinese cultural park (under construction)
• Reptile Park in Komodo Zoological Museum compound. A fully grown Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) nicknamed Bima resides in the reptile park near the eastern gate, which you can pet and take pictures with for Rp.5,000 ($0.60)

Museums

There are fourteen museums at TMII:

• Indonesia Museum
• Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum
• Soldier Museum
• Indonesian stamps Museum
• Pusaka (Heirloom) Museum
• Transportation Museum
• Museum Electricity & New Energy Museum
• Telecommunication Museum
• Penerangan Museum
• Sports Museum
• Asmat Museum
• Komodo Zoological Museum and Reptile Park
• Insects Museum
• Research & Technology Information Centre
• Oil & Gas Museum
• East Timor Museum (former East Timor province pavilion)

Theatres

• Keong Emas (Golden Snail) Imax Theater
• Tanah Airku Theater
• 4D Theater

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(source : Wikipedia free Encyclopedia)