Indonesia Travel Guidebook: Destination: Sumatra --> Jambi

Culture & Heritage:

Candi Muaro Jambi

This temple complex is located 26 kilometers from the city of Jambi, the capital city of the Jambi province. A Buddhist temple complex, it was built by the Melayu Kingdom around the eleventh to the thirteenth century.

Candi Muaro Jambi is believed to be the capital city of the Melayu Kingdom, a kingdom that became a dominant power after the Sriwijaya Kingdom was defeated by the Chola Kingdom from India in around 1000 AD. The temple complex covers an area of 1500 hectares and is home to nine excavated temple sanctuaries at the moment, with the most significant intact temples are Candi Tinggi, Candi Kedaton and Candi Gumpung. There is also a museum inside the complex that preserves relics such as statues and chinas that date back to as far as the ninth century.

A very good place to know more about one of many ancient civilizations of Sumatra.

Candi Muaro Jambi

2. Museum Negeri Jambi

Filled with relics of the past and its convenient location, Museum Negeri Jambi is another great place to visit when you are in Jambi. It was built in 1981 in the shape of Kajang Loko, Jambi's traditional house. Come here and see ancient Jambi's relics and artifacts.

A building with an area of four thousand meters square, the museum is divided into 6 parts, each with its own distinctive displays. Out of the 2.855 artifacts it houses, there are 5 that are the proud of the museum: two golden Avolokiteswara statues, a golden medallion from the Ottoman Sultanate of Turkey, a golden belt and a golden necklace. 100 Chinas that was found buried at the bottom of nearby waters are also being preserved here. Other displays such as old boats and a collection of flora and fauna can also be seen here.

With a collection like this, this museum is surely a must-go place when you are visiting Jambi.