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Jokowi's Madame Tussaud figure now donning batik shirt
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During his visit to Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong on May 1, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo expressed hope that his statue could become a means to promote Indonesian tourism abroad. (Antara/Setpres-Laily Rachev)
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resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong is now wearing Indonesia's signature batik. The costume change was announced over the weekend with the museum posting a photo on its official Instagram account.
"The use of a batik shirt will further familiarize batik to the international community and [introduce] the fact that batik has been established as a UNESCO world cultural heritage," Tri Tharyat, Indonesian Consul General in Hong Kong, said in Beijing on Saturday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
A post shared by Madame Tussauds Hong Kong (@madametussaudshongkong) on
When it was first unveiled three months ago, Jokowi's wax figure wore a white shirt, which is one of the President's common work outfits. The President recently donated his personal batik shirt for his effigy, following discussions of the change between the museum and the Indonesian government.
"During his visit to the Madame Tussauds museum on May 1, President Jokowi expressed hope that his statue could become a means to promote Indonesian tourism abroad," Tharyat said, who revealed that he was part of the discussion process.
In addition to the classic Indonesian shirt, behind Jokowi's sculpture is a large LED screen showing images of the archipelago's infrastructure, people and tourist destinations.
An image of Borobudur Temple was also shown during Jokowi’s visit, during which he unveiled the figure with his family in tow.
Read also: Jokowi unveils own wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong
The consulate has previously revealed that since the figure of Jokowi went on display, Madame Tussauds has seen an increase in visits by Indonesian citizens.
To accommodate the high numbers of visitors during the summer holidays, the museum is currently working together with the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Hong Kong by offering a 50 percent discount on tickets to visitors from Indonesia.
By showing coupons from the consulate, Indonesian visitors will only have to pay half the regular price of HKD 265 (US$34).
According to the consulate's data, as many as 464,406 Indonesians visited Hong Kong in 2016.
Meanwhile, the number of Hong Kong residents who visited Indonesia last year stood at 90,000. (liz/asw)
