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INDONESIA
After the Japanese surrendered at the end
of World War II, Indonesia declared its
independence from the Netherlands on
August 17, 1945. On their National Day,
Indonesians perform flag ceremonies at
offices and schools, where attendees sing
the national anthem, offer prayers to the
country’s heroes and read the proclamation
text. A festive mood then prevails as a
series of traditional games take place, in-
cluding kerupuk (crackers) eating contests
and panjat pinang, in which contestants
attempt to clamber up a greased pole and
reach for prizes placed at the top.
Proclamation Museum
Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia,
read the Proclamation of Indonesian Inde-
pendence at 10a.m. on August 17, 1945 at
his residence at No. 56 Jalan Pegangsaan
Timur (renamed Jalan Proklamasi), Ja-
karta. The building has since been turned
into the Gedung Proklamasi or House
of Proclamation and displays historical
artefacts that recall the country’s road to
freedom. Two giant statues of Soekarno
and Mohammad Hatta, Indonesia’s first
Vice President and later its PrimeMinister,
flank the Proclamation Monument in the
garden while the Thunderbold Monu-
ment (Tugu Petir) occupies the very spot
where Soekarno stood when he read the
Proclamation.
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STORY
Merdeka Palace
Also known as the Presidential Palace as
it is the official residence of the President
of Indonesia, this eye-catching complex
is the venue for the country’s most im-
portant events and functions, including
the national flag hoisting ceremony on
Independence Day. The palace is open to
the public for free, with guided tours on
weekends (9a.m. to 4p.m.) and draws an
average of 2,000 visitors daily.
National Monument
Known as Monumen Nasional in Indo-
nesian and often abbreviated to MONAS,
this 132m-high obelisk, made of marble
and topped with a flame coated in gold,
was designed to symbolise the struggle
and triumph of Indonesia’s fight for inde-
pendence. It was President Soekarno who
directed the creation of this monument in
1961, amammothproject that took 14 years
to complete.
Visitors can tour the basement level
below the monument, where the National
History Museum retells the country’s
history in a series of dioramas while the
‘goblet’ (base) houses the Hall of Indepen-
dence. Here, you can view the original text
of the Proclamationof Independence before
taking the lift all theway up to the ‘flame’ to
catch an overview of Central Jakarta from
the Observation Deck. The monument is
open from 8a.m. to 3p.m. daily except for
the last Monday of each month.
Jalan Thamrin and Jalan
Sudirman
The national parade kicks off at MONAS
and stretches all along these two main
thoroughfares. In the days leading to
the celebrations, the buildings, malls
and public areas in the vicinity will be
draped with buntings in the colours of
Indonesia’s flag – red and white – to
make for one very festive scene. During
the parade, crowds line the roads to cheer
on marching bands, colourful floats and
cultural performances.
Buildings around Jalan
Sudirman in Jakarta
This 132m-high National Monument
in Jakarta took 14 years to complete