Cool Tour in the High Hills of West Sumatra, Let's Visit Jam Gadang
EXPLORATIONINDONESIA.COM - Jam Gadang is a silent witness to the history of the Indonesian nation during the colonial period, no wonder this building has a close relationship with the struggle period.
Indonesia is very rich in tourism and culture, there is no country in the world as rich as Indonesia, therefore Indonesia in the past was the target of Western countries to enjoy its wealth.
If in Jakarta there is the National Monument (Monas) as an icon, in Jogja there is Tugu Pal or better known as Tugu Jogja, in the city of Medan there is the Tirtanadi tower, statues of Sura and Baya which means Sharks and Crocodiles which are icons of the city of Surabaya, in Bukittinggi there is a clock Gadang.
The city of Bukittinggi is a city full of history, especially the history of the process of the founding of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
The city of Bukittinggi is the city with the second largest economic value in West Sumatra, and was once the capital of Indonesia during the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) between December 22, 1948 to July 13, 1949.
The Clock Tower is a sign and witness to history in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. The word "Gadang" is a Minangkabau language which means "big" which represents the shape of the building.
If someone asks which city in Indonesia, especially on the island of Sumatra, has many stories about the Indonesian independence process, Bukittinggi is one of the answers.
Clock Tower
- Designer: Jazid Radjo Mangkuto
- Type: Clock tower
- Material: Lime, sand
- Height: 36 meters
- Finish date: 1926
- Dedicated to: Secretary of Fort de Kock (now the city of Bukittinggi)
History of the Clock Tower
Based on the stories told by historians, the construction of the Clock Tower was completed in 1926 during the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia.
Its construction cost about 3,000 Gulden which was quite fantastic at that time.
With that much cost, since it was built until it was inaugurated, it has attracted everyone's attention, this has made Jam Gadang a marker or landmark and also the zero point of the city of Bukittinggi.
Apart from being a marker center for the capital city of Bukittinggi, it has long been a tourist destination in Bukittingi City. There has been an expansion around the Jam Gadang park as a place of interaction for tourists who come here.
The Queen's Gift of the Netherlands
Jam Gadang was completed in 1926 as a gift from the Queen of the Netherlands named Ratu Wilhelmina to Rook Maker, a secretary or controleur of Fort De Kock or now known as Kota Bukittinggi.
The construction was of course during the reign of the Dutch East Indies and the architecture of the Clock Tower was designed by Yazid Rajo Mangkuto, an indigenous son.
The laying of the first stone was carried out by Rook Maker's first son, who at that time was still 6 years old.
There's Something In Common With Big Ben's Clock In London. Maybe many do not know that the Clock Tower in Bukittinggi City has similarities with the Big Ben Clock in London, England.
Don't think that the similarity lies in the architecture or the design, that's not it. The similarity lies in the engine that drives the clock.
There are 4 hours with a diameter of 80 cm each at Jam Gadang. The clocks were imported directly from Rotterdam, the Netherlands through Emmahaven Port or what is now known as Teluk Bayur Harbor in West Sumatra Province.
Only 2 units of Jam Gadang and Big Ben were produced, namely for these two clocks only. On the bell is engraved the name of the watchmaker's factory, namely Vortmann Recklinghausen.
Vortmann is the last name of the Jam Gadang maker, Benhard Vortmann. While Recklinghausen is the name of the city in Germany where the clockwork was produced in 1892.
Pendulum Clock Broken During the 2007 Earthquake
In 2007, West Sumatra was shaken by a powerful earthquake that claimed the lives of up to 70 people.
Not only casualties, many government, commercial and community buildings were damaged by the natural disaster, including Jam Gadang.
Jam Gadang at that time had a broken badul or pendulum (an object that moves left and right to indicate a certain time).
The pendulum is then replaced to function properly again. And what we see today is no longer the original version but the new stuff.
Has Changed Roof 3 Times
Since it was founded during the Dutch East Indies government, the tower or roof of the Clock Tower has undergone 3 changes.
Initially the roof of the Jam Gadang was round and there was a statue of a chicken on it. This form lasted until Japan controlled the archipelago.
During the Japanese occupation the roof of the Clock Tower was also converted into a pagoda shape. Then after Indonesia's independence, the roof of Jam Gadang was changed based on local wisdom, namely into a gonjong shape.
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- History of the Clock Tower
- Its construction cost about 3,000 Gulden which was quite fantastic at that time
- Has Changed Roof 3 Times
- Pendulum Clock Broken During the 2007 Earthquake