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Bukittinggi
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The gorgeous mountainous landscape, soaring rice terraces and easily accessible traditional culture make the Minang highlands a justly popular stop on any trip through Sumatra. The highlands consist of three large valleys, with
BUKITTINGGI
, a bustling hill town, the administrative and commercial centre of the whole district. The surrounding area holds plenty of attractions, including craft villages, a rafflesia reserve, the beautiful Harau Canyon, and some fine examples of Minang culture. Located to the west of the main highland area,
Danau Maninjau
is rapidly developing as an appealing travellers' destination.
The highlands around Bukittinggi are the cultural heartland of the
Minangkabau
(Minang) people. The Minang are staunchly matrilineal, one of the largest such societies extant, and Muslim. The most visible aspect of their culture is the distinctive architecture of their homes, with massive roofs soaring skywards at either end (to represent the horns of a buffalo). Typically, three or four generations of one family would live in one large house built on stilts, the
rumah gadang
("big house") or
rumah adat
("traditional house"), a wood-and-thatch structure often decorated with fabulous wooden carvings. In front of the line of sleeping rooms, a large meeting room is the focus of the social life of the house. Outside the big house, small rice barns, also of traditional design, hold the family stores. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Indonesia,
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