teradesa.com Pontianak is synonymous with the equator. This city is one of the cities that is passed by the equator, zero degrees latitude or commonly referred to as the equator.
Pontianak City is synonymous with the equator. This city is one of the cities that is crossed by the equator, zero degrees latitude or commonly referred to as the equator. In this city, a tower was built named Tugu Khatulistiwa, a tower built by a geographic expedition team led by a Dutch geographer.
Tugu Khatulistiwa is located on Jalan Khatulistiwa, North Pontianak District, West Kalimantan. The monument can be reached in about 30 minutes from the center of Pontianak City. This monument was built in 1928 using astronomy. Measurements were made by geographers at that time without using sophisticated tools such as satellites or GPS. These experts only rely on lines that are not smooth (uneven or wavy lines) and rely on natural objects such as constellations.
This monument then underwent several stages of improvement. First, in 1930 the refined parts were the milestones, circles and arrows. Secondly, in 1938 it was refined again by Indonesian architect Frederich Silaban. In this refinement, the monument building consists of 4 belian wooden bollards, each with a diameter of 0.3 meters, with a height of 2 front bollards, as high as 3.05 meters from the ground and the height of the back bollard where the circle and direction arrows are as high as 4.4 meters. The bollards are made of belian wood, a type of ironwood or ulin.
In 1990-1991, a replica of the Equator Monument was built in the form of a permanently built protective building. This protective building is dome-shaped and was inaugurated on September 21, 1991 by the then Governor of West Kalimantan, Parjoko Suryo Kusomo. The shape of this replica is 5 times larger than the size of the original monument. Two front bollards with a diameter of 1.5 meters and a height of 15.25 meters from the ground. Then 2 bollards at the back where the circle and direction arrows with a size of 1.5 meters with a height of 22 meters from the ground with a length of 10.75 meters direction arrows.
In addition, there is a symbol information in the form of an arrow indicating the north-south direction (latitude 0 ‘degrees). Symbol information in the form of a flat circle that reads evenaar (Dutch) which means equator, showing the equatorial hemisphere or the north and south boundaries. While the plate under the direction of the arrow reads 109 degrees 20’0”OlvGR, meaning that the equator in Pontianak City coincides with 109 degrees east longitude 20 minutes 00 seconds GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
Entering the room inside the Equator Monument, visitors will see photos displayed on the walls of this building. These photos date from the 1930s to the present. There are also photos of visits to the monument by important domestic and foreign figures. In addition, there is also an explanation of the knowledge of the astronomical world, such as data on the earth, solar system, stars, moon, sun and galaxies. Relief paintings depicting Pontianak City and the Equator Monument also adorn the walls in this building.
According to the manager of the Equator Monument, in the future, this monument will be developed with various new facilities and buildings such as a planetarium, five-star hotel, family recreation area, water boom, sports center, craft center and souvenirs typical of West Kalimantan, to a dock for tourist boats.
