REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MAGELANG -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has outlined a target to conclude the development of four priority tourist destinations in 2020 to coincide with the completion of airport construction work.
"Everything will be completed. The four (destinations) are expected to be ready by late 2020," Jokowi remarked at the Borobudur Temple complex, here, Friday.
Labuan Baju in East Nusa Tenggara, Toba Lake in North Sumatra, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, and Borobudur complex are the four priority tourist destinations. "Here, when Yogyakarta's airport is completed in March, Borobudur will also be ready, so then promotion will be conducted," he explained.
Access to Borobudur temple is crucial, so development and renovation are deemed necessary, he remarked. "The education and culture minister merely pointed out that a large road is required to ply tourists to Borobudur. The temple should be visible from far away," he stated.
President Joko Jokowi (second left), accompanied by Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy, Minister Of Tourism Arief Yahya (second right) , Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Issue Luhut Binsar (left) after visiting Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Friday, August 30, 2019.
More roads around the ancient Buddhist temple must be built, he revealed. He said that in future, a cap will be placed on the number of tourists climbing to the top of Borobudur Temple that has gained worldwide recognition for its primeval and large mountain-shape building, reliefs, statues, and stupas. The world's largest Buddhist temple has been renowned globally, especially after the site of worship was included on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage list in 1991.
Constructed during the reign of a king from the Saliendra Dynasty between 750 and 842 AD, the temple is located in Mendut Village, Magelang District, Central Java Province, some 42 kilometers from Yogyakarta City at the center of Java Island. Borobudur Temple, with a massive step pyramid structure made from giant stone blocks, is built on a hill and is encircled by valleys and hills. The levels rise up, signifying the stages of enlightenment.
Apart from its striking, historic, and cultural building, Borobudur Temple offers a scenic natural panorama, as it is enclosed by green rice fields, and the four active volcanoes of Merapi, Sindoro, Merbabu, and Sumbing from which the stones for building the temple were sourced. Visitors to Borobudur are increasingly drawn to watch the sunrise, best viewed at dawn, when the air is crisp and brimming with the sounds of chirping birds.
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