Dozens of people had an exciting chance to ride on the steam-powered Jaladara train, built in 1896, through the heart of the historical city of Surakarta in Central Java over the weekend.

Coming from 51 cities and regencies across the archipelago, the lucky guests '€” participants of the Explore Heritage Cities event '€” also had their taste buds tickled by traditional Surakartan food served during the ride, which included sate kere (tofu satay) and serabi (pancakes).

During the 8-kilometer trip from Purwosari Train Station to Solo Kota Station, the 130 participants visited a number of heritage buildings, including the Ndalem Doyoatmojo, the Ndalem Wuryaningratan batik museum and the Surakarta Palace Grand Mosque.

According to Surakarta mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo, the event was held to showcase a partnership scheme used by the municipal administration to maintain its heritage buildings, which other regional administrations could adapt in their hometowns.

'€œManaging and caring for heritage buildings can be done not only by the administration but also by other stakeholders in town like members of the academy, businesspeople and other non-governmental organizations through partnership,'€ said the mayor, popularly known as Rudy.

Rudy, who accompanied the participants during the trip, said that just like Surakarta other cities could revitalize their heritage buildings.

According to the mayor, heritage buildings could be turned into tourist attractions, which in turn would generate funds for managing and maintaining the buildings.

Surakarta was the birthplace of the Indonesian Heritage Cities Network in 2009. The network, made up of 51 city and regency administrations, aimed at boosting cooperation between heritage cities.

Surakarta Spatial Planning Agency'€™s Heritage Areas and Buildings Management division chief Mufti Raharjo said the municipal administration had continued collecting data and conducting research on heritage buildings owned
by individuals.

The administration, according to Mufti, was planning to provide financial support to the individuals to help take care of the buildings.

'€œWe give out financial support because the city cannot by itself take care all of heritage buildings. We need help from the owners. We are also handing over the buildings'€™ management to them,'€ the official said.

Mufti said the same system could be easily applied in other cities in Indonesia.

Last year, the municipal administration resumed drawing up the master plan for turning the municipality into a heritage city, a process which had been on hold for the last five years.

The municipality was one of 12 cities across Indonesia that had been mandated by the central government to prepare a master plan to follow up the 2008 heritage-city declaration.

The master plan is drawn up according to rules stipulated in the Indonesian Heritage City Preservation Charter launched by the Public Works Ministry in December 2013.

According to the charter, a heritage city is defined as a city or regency having special heritage assets, which may be intangible or tangible.

The administration has blamed the five-year delay in drafting the master plan on miscommunication between the respective municipal working units, in this case the City Spatial Planning Agency and the Culture and Tourism Agency.

According to Surakarta'€™s heritage buildings and objects list in 2012, there are at less 70 cultural objects in the town.

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