ENGLISH PAPER

ALL ABOUT BENGKULU

CREATED BY
CHAIRANI DININGRUM
24.0526
37 TH UP WISDOM

IPDN JATINANGOR
YEAR 2015

BENGKULU
Bengkulu is the smallest and lowest populated province of
Sumatra. Bengkulu province is located on the southwest coast of
Sumatra. It occupies of 19,831 sq. km area and has about one
million populations, comprising mostly Rejang, Malay, Bugis and
Chinese ethnic ancestry people. Bukit Barisan mountain range
constitutes its northeastern border, beyond which laid of South
Sumatra province and Jambi province. The province protected by
a stretch of mountains, which soon flow into the mighty Bukit
Barisan. Tigers and elephants wander through the remains of the
original rainforest, where exotic rafflesia's and orchids grow.
Bengkulu City (Indonesian: Kota Bengkulu; English historic
name: Bencoolen, Dutch historic: Benkulen or Benkoelen) is a
city on the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. It had a
population of 308,756 at the 2010 Census, the latest estimate
(for January 20104) is 328,827. The city is the capital and largest
city of Bengkulu Province.
The British founded Bengkulu in 1685. It is a university
town and administrative centre. It is the last territory in Indonesia
to be held by the British. Fort Marlborough, constructed in 1762,
is a castle with gatehouse that contains old gravestones with
English inscription. Sir Stamford Raffles, who later found
Singapore, was lieutenant - government of Bengkulu from 1818
to 1823.
Thomas Stamford Raffles was an important figure in
Bengkulu history, which in 1817 was appointed as a LieutenantGovernor of Bencoolen, the only territory in the area, which the
Dutch had never managed to bring under their control. Raffles

was an extraordinary and energetic man of wide-ranging

interests. In the year of his arrival, he and a botanist named
Joseph Arnold discovered the world's largest flower, at Manna
River near Lubuktapi, in South Bengkulu. The flower is now
known as Rafflesia Arnoldi and is the official symbol of Bengkulu
province.
Bengkulu province, with a population of 1.7 million
inhabitants, encompasses an amazing mix of cultures, boasting
over 8 ethnic groups, each with their own language and cultural
beauty. The interior is mainly populated by the Rejang (the
largest group) as well as the Lembak, while coastal towns are
inhabited by the Bengkulu-Malay, the Serawai, the Kaur, among
others. Foreign travellers who have ever come to this province
are usually surprised by the incredibly friendly locals who tend to
have the time to greet, to chat, and to help foreign travellers.
Bengkulu is located
between 2o and 5o
South Latitude and
between 101o and
104o Eastern
Longitude. This
Province is bordered
by: East Side: Jambi
Province West Side:
Indian Ocean South
Side: Lampung
Province and Indian
Ocean North Side:
West Sumatra
Province

Demography
The region is at low elevation and can have swamps. In the
mid 19th century, malaria and related diseases were common.
Bengkulu lies near the Sunda Fault and is prone to earthquakes

and tsunamis. In June 2000 a quake caused damage and the

death of at least 100 people. A recent report predicts that
Bengkulu is "at risk of inundation over the next few decades from
undersea earthquakes predicted along the coast of Sumatra. A
series of earthquakes struck Bengkulu during September, 2007,
killing 13 people.
Its humidity is 87% and the rainfall ranges 3,598 mm per
year. The temperature of this area ranges between 22.2o C and
31.1o C.
Bengkulu Province has an indigineous community consisted
of Manna, Muko-Muko, and Minang. A transmigration program
supports a migration flow to this province. The population density
of this province was 68 people per Km2. Compared to the
average national population growth amounted to 2.144% per
year; this province was on the higher level with 3.42% per year in
the 1990-1994. Bengkulu province area is 21,168-sq.km widths.
Bukit Barisan mountain range constitutes its northeastern border,
beyond which lie in South Sumatra and Jambi provinces.
History
Bengkulu region was part of the Buddhist Srivijaya
kingdom. After the Srivijaya kingdom was defeated by the
Majapahit kingdom of East Java in the 13th century, Bengkulu
came under the influence of the Majapahit until the late 15th
century. It is generally believed that before the introduction of
Islam in the 12th century to the region, the people who lived
within the region developed their own script known as the Rejang
script or also known as the Ka-Ga-Nga script to write the five
Rejang dialects. In the late 17th century the British was in control
of most part of Bengkulu (Bencoolen, as they called it), and then
the region gradually came under Dutch occupation in 1824.
Diverse Cultures
In general, the culture in Bengkulu province is largely
influenced by Islam, but each ethnic group in the region has a
unique cultural identity shaped by the ancient myths, the Malay

heritages, the physical landscape, and few of the European

colonialists. Islam was introduced to Bengkulu in the 12th
century which then Islamic value gradually blended with the
traditional cultural practices.
Ikan sejerek bereh secupak (lit. a string of fishes a quart
of rice), a popular Bengkulu-Malay expression which roughly
means be thankful for what you have today and live a simple,
peaceful, and content life. This expression reflects that there is a
slower pace of life in every corner of Bengkulu province, even in
the provincial capital city you could feel things moving at a
slower pace. The people always seem not to be in a big rush to
get things done. It is very common for the locals to take the
opportunity to greet and talk to foreign travelers. Life in Bengkulu
tends to be much less stressful, where drinking strong black
coffee and smoking clove cigarettes are popular pastimes for the
people.
In Bengkulu province, especially in the rural areas, besides
the kepala desa (village head), the tetua adat (the traditional
leaders and the elders) are also still highly respected for the
value of their cultural knowledge and leadership that are
frequently asked by the local communities to supervise, to make
important decisions, and to give written or oral approval needed.
An old tradition of gotong-royong (mutual co-operation) and
musyawarah (consensus) are still strongly retained and
demonstrated by the people throughout Bengkulu where they are
accustomed to cooperate and work together to meet their
community needs and interests.

 Music, Dance, and Art

Music and dance have been central to Bengkulu culture
since the ages of kings. In the Rejang tradition, for example, the
Kejei dance performance has its roots on the Rejangs biggest
cultural event, the Kejei ritual, had existed before the arrival of
the four Buddhist monks of the Majapahit in the 15th century.
Today the Kejei dance is presented at special events, such as at
the welcome ceremony for the important guests, the harvest
celebration, the traditional wedding party, etc. It is performed by
young women and men dancing together and accompanied by
the traditional musical instruments. Besides the richness in
traditional arts, the Rejang also has its own script called the
Rejang script or the Ka-Ga-Nga script as a part of its cultural
heritage. The script is still in use among the Rejang traditionalists
and is an art form in and of itself, rarely found among ethnic
groups in Southeast Asia.
TOURISM OBJECT
From statistic, only about 8,000 tourists came to Bengkulu
last year. About 7,500 tourists is domestic tourist and the rest is
abroad tourists. Target for this year, more than 10,000 tourists
come to Bengkulu. In average, its about 30% increment.
Sadly, the promo for Bengkulu destinations, as I mentioned
above, were quite a little. I doubt the target can be fulfilled if the
local government does nothing to develop and to manage the
potency.
Bengkulu was built to be a tourism province, there are
many tourism object waiting for you. Bengkulu have
Conservation area about 51,054.664 Hectares spread in eight
Sub-Province and Bengkulu city.

Bengkulus Museum

The Bengkulu Museum is a place to maintain and preserve

objects of cultural importance and functions as a building for
study, research and even entertainment. Visiting the museum is
like taking a step into the past, observing items that tell about
history, culture and life from times passed. Here are some of the
things that are found in the Bengkulu Museum.

Dendam Tak Sudah Lake

You must remember that this is a nature reserve, therefore,

any activities should consider their environmental impact. While
it may be a perfect place to conduct scientific research, the lake
still offers other activities for visitors.
You can try to explore the lake by boat or raft, and enjoy
the sensation of paddling through its fresh clear water. For those
who love the sensation of reeling in the big fish, there are several
fishing facilities available here.
As you spend time with various activities around the lake,
food and beverage stalls are ready to ease your hunger and
thirst. For a pleasant treat, you may want to try the grilled corn
cobs available at many parts of the lake. You may also want to
try the local distinct cuisine such as the punai fish.

Tapak Paderi Beach

Tapak Paderi Beach is one of the top tourist destinations in

the province of Bengkulu. With a coastline that borders the Indian
Ocean, Bengkulus Tapak Paderi Beach merges into Pantai
Panjang, or Long Beach, making the entire provinces coast
seemingly endless stretches of fun and relaxation in the sea,
sand and sun.
Strolling along Tapak Paderi, visitors can admire the beauty
of the Bengkulu Sea, watch the enchanting sunset, or enjoy
grilled seafood and corn along the seaside or on a boat.
Aside from its natural beauty, Tapak Paderis historical
attractions are what set it apart from other beaches. Tapak Paderi
was the center of the first seaport in Bengkulu. It was also the
hub for marine transportation of the British Government. The
port was located just 100 meters from Fort Marlborough, a fort
built by the British in the early 18th century. This fort and the
Thomas Parr Monument are the most visited attractions in the
Bengkulu Province. Along this beach, you can also see a
Chinatown that was once also a major hub of activity.

Long Beach

Pantai Panjang, translated to mean Long Beach, boasts a

coastline of fine, white sands that stretches 7 kilometers. As the
beach has no reefs, its width expands to 500 meters when the
tide is low.The beach area is a central tourism district and is lined
with restaurants, hotels, cottages and shops. Pantai Panjang is
located just 15 minutes from downtown Bengkulu, Southwest of
the island of Sumatera.
Unlike many beaches, Pantai Panjang has no coconut or
palm trees, but is dominated by Spruces and Pines which create
a lovely shelter for beach-goers to rest and relax under. As a
prime tourist area, a variety of facilities are positioned along the
beach such as restaurants, cafes, accommodations, a childrens
playground as well as sports facilities.
The Bengkulu community also uses the beach as a place
for jogging in the mornings and evenings.

Bung Karnos House

Most Indonesians have learned in school about the exile of

Soekarno (affectionately known as Bung Karno, meaning Brother
Karno) Indonesias first president and leader of the countrys
struggle for Independence from the late 1930s. In the midst of
this struggle, to prevent Soekarno from making political speeches
against the Dutch colonial policy, the Dutch Governor-General
sentenced Soekarno to exile without trial. In 1934, Bung Karno
and his family were first shipped to Ende, a town on the island of
Flores. Due to a malaria outbreak in 1938, Dutch authorities then
moved political prisoners to the city of Bengkulu in Southwest
Sumatera, where they remained until the Japanese invasion in
1942.
During his exile in Bengkulu, Sukarno met Fatmawati, a
young woman from Bengkulu, whom he later married. Fatmawati
later became the first Indonesian First Lady. The airport of the
city of Bengkulu is also named after her. During these hard times
Farmawati was accredited to have personally sewn by hand the
first Red and White Flag of Indonesia. This was the flag that was
flown on the historic moment of the Proclamation of
Independence of Indonesia on 17 August 1945 and every year
until 1967, when it was too threadbare to fly. Today, at every
Independence Day ceremony, this flag is taken out to accompany

a newer version of the Indonesian flag that is flown in front of the

Merdeka Palace.

The Horse Statue at Simpanglimo

In the era of Indonesians struggle for independence, Bengkulu

was the place to exile the Indonesian patriots such as Sentot
Alibasyah and Soekarno - the first President of Indonesia. With its
long historical events those took place in this city, has made
Bengkulu heritaged many historical artifact and monument from
the middle age to independence era.

Dragon Gate to Kampung Cina

Kampung Cina

The downtown of Bengkulu city was surrounding the Fort

Marlborough such as Kampung Cina. Now, this place is no longer
the economic central of Bengkulu city as the it moves to the
southern part of Bengkulu city. But, the remain of its historical
place still preserve until now.

Mosque of Jamik. Based on

Soekarno's Architecture Design.

Bank Bengkulu

Residence of Indonesian First President Soekarno while in exile at

Bengkulu 1938-1942
Bengkulu city today has become the central city of Bengkulu
Province. It is the central for economic, sociocultural and
administration of Bengkulu Province. No wonder, this city has
many modern facility that make this city is accessible through
land, sea and sky transportation.

Suprapto Street

Suprapto Street, the main

road of Bengkulu City

Suprapto street is the shopping center in Bengkulu. This road

spans along 1 km from Jamik Mosque to Simpanglimo. About 500
meters from Jamik mosque, if we turn left, we'll meet Pasar
Minggu market, the center of economic activity of Bengkulu's
people. In this market, we will find the first Bengkulu' mall, the
Mega Mall. Another mall- Bengkulu Indah Mall- is situated near
pantai panjang (the long beach).

Bengkulu Indah Mall,

supermarket at Pantai Panjang

The Megamall, Bengkulu's

supermarket

Bengkulu's most important product is agriculture products such

palm oil, rubber, coffee and cacao. Besides, Bengkulu also
produces mining products such as coal, iron sand and gold. It
makes the shipping facility play an important role to Bengkulu in

order to boost its economy. The Bengkulu Harbor the Pulau Baai
Harbor is located about 25 km from the central of Bengkulu.

Pulau Baai, Bengkulu Harbour

Culiner
Pendap

Pendap is a tasty sidedish wrapped in taro leaf, containing

fresh fish, cooked in a bed of spices, consisting of garlic,
galangale (a root resembling ginger, known in Indonesia as
kencur) and chilli paste, then mixed with rasped young coconut
meat. Wrapped in taro leaf, pendap is boiled for no less than 8
hours. Pendap is best eaten with steaming hot rice.

Tempoyak

While gulai tempoyak, or more familiarly called tempoyak

is a dish made offermented fresh durians, then cooked with chilli
paste and salt. Although tempoyak is also known in other parts of
Indonesia, here in Bengkulu, tempoyak is mixed with shrimp,
unlike fish used in other provinces. Since tempoyak has a strong
smell , it is often not served as a sidedish but used as ingredient
in other dishes.
Bagar Hiu

Bagar HIU is HIU meat, cooked in an array of spices

including coriander, nutmeg, pepper, tamarind, galangale, garlic,
chalots, chilli paste and fried rasped coconut.