Riau is a province of Indonesia, located in the center of Sumatra island along the Strait of Malacca. The provincial capital and largest city is Pekanbaru. Other major cities includes Dumai, Bangkinang and Siak Sri Indrapura. Indonesian was based on the Riau version of Malay.Riau is one of the richest provinces in Indonesia. This province is rich with natural resources, particularly petroleum and natural gas, rubber, and palm oil.The province was once heavily forested lowlands, but with palm oil plantations and logging being major industries it is losing around 2.000 square km of forest per year.
In 2005 the forest cover was down to 33% (or 27.000 square km) from 78% (or 64.000 square km) in 1982. [2]Being a shallow province, the coastal regions are rapidly losing land to the ocean.
Tourist Destination
Siak Sri Indrapura
Siak Sri Indrapura was the centre of an Islamite Malayan kingdom, which enjoyed its golden age from the 18th through 20th century. Sultan Abdul Jalil Rakhmad Syah founded the kingdom in 1725. He was the first in a family tree of 12 sultans who would reign until 1945.
In November 1945, the last sultan, Sultan Syarif Kasyim II, sent a cable to the president of Republic of Indonesia stating his loyalty to the republic, and he contributed his properties to the struggle of independence.
The old palace of Siak Sri Indrapura is definitely worth a visit. It is located 125 km northeast from Pekanbaru and can best be reached from Pekanbaru over land. It was built 1889 by Sultan Abdul Jalil Syarifuddin, in the 11th of 12th sultans who ruled Siak from 1725 to 1945 the M Arches and Minarets give the palace a strong Indian Moghui look representative of stills during the colonials times.
Balai Adat
Many of Pekanbaru's buildings, including ones recently constructed, are built in traditional Riau-Malay architectural style. One of these buildings is Balai Adat, or Adat Community House at Diponegoro Street. Decorated with woodcarvings and woven cloth motives, its architecture represents the glory of Riau-Malay culture.
Balai Adat has initially been built to accommodate various activities relating to Resam Malayan Riau custom, but now is also the place for various meeting gatherings.
Riau Cultural Park
South of the city centre, not far from the airport, is Pekanbaru's museum, housing historical remains from the region. The museum is built in traditional Riau-Malay style. Next door to the museum is Taman Budaya Riau, which comprises several traditional houses.
The place is designated as the centre of cultural activities. The museum known by the name of Sang Nila Utama is a Malay traditional architectural model building located at Jenderal Sudirman Street Pekanbaru, not far from Sultan Syarif Kasim II airport.
The museum, which is opened daily, except on Sunday and holidays, is keeping various collection of objects of art, history and culture from Riau area in general. Next to the museum, there is also a building with nearly similar architectural feature, i.e. Riau Cultural Park Building, which is appropriated as the centre of various art and cultural activity.
Muara Takus
Near Muaramahat, some 122 km west of Pekanbaru off the main road to Bukittinggi, are the ruins of Muara Takus, an ancient temple complex close to the bank of the river Kampar Kanan. Standing in a remote area amid Sumatra's tropical forest, the temple is a mysterious entity.
Archeological experts have not yet been able to confirm when the temple has been built. Short inscriptions found among the ruins point to a date in the 11th or 12th century. Other relates the complex to Srivijaya Buddhist Empire, which ruled in Sumatra in the 8th through 10th century. Some opinions go even back to the 4th century.
Custom clothing from Riau
Source: Wikipedia Indonesia
