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Five colorful villages in Java
Color and creativity brings hope to less affluent urban areas.
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Tridi village in Malang, East Java. (Kompas/Kristianto Purnomo)
C
ities in Java are boosting confidence and tourism with color. Certain areas tidy up their neighborhood, paint their walls, roofs and even streets with vibrant colors in order to attract visitors. This colorful idea has worked its charm, as photos of travelers against the background of colorful villages and riversides are found all over social media.
Feeling the need for more color in your travel photos? Below are some of the destinations:
Tridi village, Malang, East Java
The name "tridi" means 3D, or three-dimensional, representing the numerous murals painted on the walls of this village. Once a dirty residential area, the village is now tidy and colorful, full of hope for a better future.
According to Kompas.com, the transformation of the village began with an idea from students from Malang Muhammadiyah University.
Collaborating with a local paint manufacturer, PT. Indana Paint, the idea came to fruition. Now the village at the north of Brantas river is famous for its color visible from afar, three-dimensional murals that provides fun photo backgrounds and a glass bridge that has become a popular spot to take a photo.
Code village, Yogyakarta
Previously known as a slum residential area in Yogyakarta, Kampung Code started to improve in the 1980s when the late Catholic priest and architect Romo YB Mangunwijaya (Romo Mangun) led an upgrading initiative.
Assisted by students, Romo reconstructed the area to blend in with its natural land contours. In 2015, years after Romo Mangun’s passing, the houses and roofs of Kampung Code were painted in bright colors to resemble the colorful hill favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
Warna-warni village, Bogor, West Java
The village in Katulampa, Bogor, West Java, is now known as kampung Warna-warni, meaning colorful village. The color is the idea of local youngsters, who funded the project themselves.
More than just painting the houses in vibrant colors, the villagers also painted rocks by the river. Open spaces in the village were transformed into a library and traditional game area. Meanwhile, other villagers began operating a river tubing attraction in Katulampa river.
Three Dimensions village, Depok, West Java
Jl. Danau Tondano Raya in Sukmajaya village, Depok, grabbed attention at the end of 2017 with three-dimensional paintings on their roads. The paintings were created by the local Karang Taruna group (official youth organization at the community level), to prevent motorbike riders from speeding on their village roads.
Cikao river, Purwakarta, West Java
Coloring and decorating are positive ways to solve problems. In the case of Cikao river in Purwakarta, West Java, rocks in the river that were once vandalized are now painted with bright colors. Now visitors to Cikao park flock around the colorful rocks to take photos. They also enjoy other activities within the park, which is more appreciated by its visitors because of the fresh look and colors.
(mut)
