teradesa.com Jakarta is now a highlight and an increasingly attractive tourist destination for many tourists, especially those from abroad. The capital city of this country does have a lot of interesting tourist attractions that can be visited. Starting from modern tourist attractions, shopping centers to historical tourist attractions such as Monas. The iconic monument in Jakarta is indeed a must-visit tourist destination if you visit Jakarta.
History of the National Monument
Before discussing further about what is in the National Monument, let’s review a little about the history of this tourist spot in Jakarta. In the past, after the capital city of the country had been in Jogjakarta and then returned to Jakarta, President Soekarno planned to build a monument as a symbol of the Indonesian people’s struggle during the 1945 independence revolution.
Finally, right on Indonesia’s birthday on August 17, 1954, the national committee held a competition to find the best design for the construction of the National Monument. However, unfortunately from all the designs submitted, Soekarno did not like it so he asked for help from R.M Soedarsono to continue the design that had been made by Silaban. In his design, R.M Soedarsono included the numbers 17, 8 and 45 which symbolize the day of Indonesia’s independence. The monument was then built in an area of 80 hectares. Thus, the National Monument was designed by R.M Soedarsono, Silaban and Frederich.
About the National Monument
The National Monument itself has a height of 132 meters or about 433 feet. At the top of the monument you can find a crown in the shape of a flame that symbolizes the spirit of the Indonesian people’s struggle. In Jakarta you can visit the historic monument which is located at Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta.
The design of the National Monument was made in such a way as to realize its own philosophical value. The building of the monument consists of two elements, namely Lingga and Yoni. The towering monument is the Lingga which symbolizes masculinity and daylight. Meanwhile, the cup-shaped courtyard symbolizes Yoni or femininity and nighttime. Thus, the two are combined as a form of fertility. It is not uncommon for the National Monument to also be interpreted as a pestle and mortar which is a rice pounding tool used by farming households in Indonesia.
In addition to the main monument that symbolizes Lingga and Yoni, in the National Monument area you can also find a pond located in Medan Merdeka Utara Park. The pond measures 25 x 25 meters which is designed for air conditioning and beautifying the Monas park area itself. Still in the same area you will also find a fountain and a statue of Prince Diponegoro with his horse. The statue is made of bronze which weighs 8 tons and is the work of an Italian seminan named Prof. Coberlato.
Not only walking around the outside area of the National Monument. After looking at the ponds and parks around the monument you can also enter the tunnel which is not far from the Diponegoro Statue. There you will find the entrance to Monas. You can buy an entrance ticket to the museum for IDR 20,000 for adults and IDR 10,000 for children. Visiting hours at the National Monument are from 9am to 4pm.
National History Museum
Not just a symbolic monument. Inside the National Monument you also have to visit the National History Museum. The place is at a depth of 3 meters below ground level. With an area of about 80 x 80 meters, the National History Museum can accommodate up to 500 visitors. Entering the area inside you will see many dioramas that are neatly displayed on the walls of the museum. The dioramas describe the history of Indonesia from pre-history to the New Order. From the whole room you can see as many as 51 dioramas with their respective stories.
To see the whole story of Indonesia’s journey, you can trace it from the northeast corner and then move clockwise. You can see the stories from pre-history, Sriwijaya Kingdom, Majapahit, European colonial period, to independence and the New Order in order and complete here.
Independence Hall
In addition to containing a diorama room, at the National Monument you can also find a unique room called the Independence Room. The room has a shape like an amphitheater. You can see various symbols of Indonesian statehood and independence such as the original manuscript of the proclamation which is neatly stored in a glass box. In addition, there is also a gold-plated map of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia to the red and white flag.
The purpose of the Independence Room is so that visitors can listen to the recording of the reading of the proclamation text by President Soekarno. The room also serves as a quiet room for silence to remember the struggle of the Indonesian people.
Monas Peak Court
At the National Museum you also have to visit the top court of Monas. If you have previously paid an entrance ticket to the museum then to go up to the top court you have to pay an additional fee of IDR 7,500 for adults and IDR 3,500 for children. To get to the place you can use the elevator on the south side. Keep in mind not too late in the afternoon if you want to be able to go up to the top court. Besides being more crowded, access to the top will also be closed by officers. At Pelataran Puncak you can see a stunning view of Jakarta from the top of the monument. In addition, there are also several binoculars to see objects from the Jakarta cityscape. From the top of the peak, you can even see Mount Salak, which is located in Bogor, West Java, to the open sea in the northern part of the city.
Tongue of Fire made of Gold
Right on top of Pelataran Puncak there is a 14-meter tongue of fire or torch. The tongue of fire is what makes the National Monument iconic because it is made of 14.5 tons of bronze and a layer of gold weighing 50 kilograms. Initially, the flame tongue was only coated with 35 kilograms of gold. However, on the 50th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence, the tongue of fire was again polished with gold to reach a weight of 50 kilograms. The gold that coats the monument itself was donated by Teuku Markam, a businessman from Aceh.
Fun Things to Do at Monas
More than just seeing the beautiful scenery of Jakarta and learning history. When you go to Monas you can also do many exciting activities, here are some of them:
Seeing the Fountain
Monas is not only interesting to visit during the day but also at night. You can watch an interesting show in the form of a dancing fountain in the pond in the Monas park. To see the show you don’t need to pay a ticket again like when you enter the museum. You can come to Monas at 19:00 to 20:30 to see the dancing fountain. Although it does not use sophisticated technology, the highlights of colorful lights accompanied by typical Indonesian music have made the dancing fountain show very entertaining.
Deer Viewing
You don’t need to go to the zoo to see deer roaming. At the National Monument, you can also see this animal passing by in the city park area. There are approximately dozens of spotted deer that are cared for by the officers there. You can even feed the deer with vegetables sold by vendors around Monas.
Traveling by Train
The vast area of the National Monument is certainly quite exhausting if we have to explore it on foot. But, calm down, you don’t need to be exhausted to explore Monas because there are facilities in the form of tourist trains. The facility is provided free of charge for visitors who want to get around Monas. You only need to sit sweetly to see the scenery around Monas from the top of the train.
