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Rich in history, Malang set to be the next heritage destination
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Candi Jago in Tumpangan, Malang, East Java. (Shutterstock/File)
The city administration of Malang, East Java, is in the middle of developing the regency’s heritage tourism.
According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, heritage tourism is cultural, historic and has natural resources that represent the stories and people of the past. Malang fits this criteria, as the city is filled with historical objects, such as temples and inscriptions.
Malang is one of the areas in East Java that has a rich history as it is where Ken Arok, the founder and the first ruler of Singosari Kingdom, an ancient Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom, established the Tumapel Kingdom. Today, the historical artifacts of Singosari Kingdom can still be found in the region.
(Read also: Three destinations in Malang to help your children learn – without them being aware of it)
“We’re currently in the midst of preparing the potential heritage tourism sites, both natural resources and historical objects. When we’re done preparing the sites, we can promote them,” said Made Arya Wedhantara head of Malang Tourism and Culture Agency during the closing ceremony of Singosari Literature Festival in Candi Cago, Tumpang, Malang, on Saturday.
“The richness of our culture piques foreign tourists' curiosity. They come here not for the shopping malls but also to see our cultural heritage and this is what we’re trying to promote,” he added.
Made recognized that Malang’s cultural heritage tourism was going unnoticed. Through the Singosari Literature Festival, he hopes to raise the awareness about the city’s potential heritage tourism.
Currently, the city administration has promoted a few temples, including Candi Singosari in Singosari district, Candi Sumberawan in Toyomarto village, Candi Badut in Tidar, Candi Kidal in Rejokidal village and Candi Jago in Tumpang. (kes)
