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strong>National Education Day

National Education Day, which falls on May 2, is celebrated annually, with the theme varying from year to year. '€œEducation and Culture as Movement to Sharpen and Raise a Generation with Pancasila Character'€ is the focus this year. This theme indicates the importance of understanding Indonesian cultural diversity and heritage.

To know Indonesia is to love Indonesia. This National Education Day is a great time to get up close and personal with our beloved nation. One way to do that is by learning about its cultural heritage, as displayed in some of Indonesia'€™s best known museums, where cultural immersion is designed to be an enjoyable experience.

We'€™ve selected a few sites to help you get started.

National Museum
Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat 12, Central Jakarta
Telp: (021) 344 7778
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays and holidays closed
Website: museumnasional.or.id

Celebrating its 237th anniversary this year, the National Museum continues to spread its charms, as visitors and Jakarta residents alike are finding ever more reasons to come here. Housed in two buildings, the museum boasts an impressive collection that ranges from prehistoric times to contemporary art.

Also available are statues and stone inscriptions, batik and indigenous woven textiles, as well as gold and silver ornaments, and much more. You can'€™t miss the elephant statue in the museum'€™s front yard, which was a gift from Thai king Chulalongkorn.

Jakarta History Museum (Fatahillah Museum)
Jl. Taman Fatahillah 1, West Jakarta
Telp: (021) 692 9101
Hours: Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A visit to this museum will take you back in time to learn about the history of the city that has grown to become home to close to 17 million people. It is located in a building that used to house the City Hall of Batavia and served as the administrative headquarters of the Dutch East India Company.

Former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin turned it into a museum and opened its doors to the public in 1974. With the few displays and narratives, it is the colonial building itself, many have suggested, that is the main attraction of the museum.

Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park

Jl. TMII Cipayung, East Jakarta
Telp: (021) 840 1687, 8779 2078
Hours: Main gate operates Monday to Sunday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Website: tamanmini.com

If you only had one day, or one chance, to explore Indonesia, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah would be the place to go. For everyone else, it could be a great starting place to discover this vast archipelago. This recreational park and cultural village boasts representations of the archipelago'€™s 13,000 islands and amazing variety of cultures.

Now entering its 40th year of existence, the site continues to capture the hearts and minds of many locals, making it a popular tourist destination. Locals love the place for its wide array of museums, theaters and pavilions representing each region'€™s architecture, clothing, dances and traditions.

Puppet Museum

Jl. Pintu Besar Utara 27, West Jakarta
Telp: (021) 692 9560
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Website: museumwayang.com

Puppetry fans can learn a thing or two from this establishment, which hosts vast puppet collections, not only from Indonesia, but also from around the world, such as Malaysia, Thailand, China, France, India and Cambodia. Also visible are gamelan sets, as well as sculptures and paintings of wayang (puppets).

History buffs will enjoy the fact that the building is located on the site of a church built in 1640 and its garden was the funeral site of the fourth governor general of the Dutch East Indies, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, also known as the founder of Batavia. The Puppet Museum is located close to the Fatahillah Museum.

Museum Bank Indonesia

Jl. PintuBesar Utara 3, WestJakarta
Telp: (021) 2600 158
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 7:30 a.m. To 3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays and holidays closed
Website: bi.go.id

Called on to inform the public about the role of the Central Bank and to contribute to the preservation and revitalization of Old Jakarta, the board of governors of the Central Bank decided to establish a museum.

Rightly so, the institution was then set up in the historic former Central Bank building in the downtown area and has been operating since 2009. Fans love the establishment for the plethora of information it offers on the monetary system and the national bank, its colonial setting and the fact that there is free entrance.

Textile Museum

Jl. Aipda KS Tubun No. 2-4, Central Jakarta
Phone: (021) 560 6613
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays and holidays closed
Website: museumtekstiljakarta.com

A rich textile heritage is just one facet of Indonesia'€™s tremendous cultural treasures. The Textile Museum beautifully displays Indonesia'€™s national pride, through exhibitions and batik-making demonstrations. Tripadvisor points to the friendly and helpful museum staff as one of the reasons why this place is a must-visit. Whether or not you'€™re a fabric enthusiast, a visit to this place allows anyone a brief look into Indonesia'€™s history, as seen through its textiles. Batik courses and training are available at an extra fee.

National Archives Museum

History and architecture lovers would surely appreciate this establishment for its well-preserved interior and exterior features. Located on busy Jl. Gajah Mada, the building used to serve as the residence of the 31st governor general of the Dutch East Indies, Reynier de Klerck, from 1778 to 1780. The nice big lawn in the back is often rented out for wedding parties or other events.
(Sondang Grace Sirait)