Wayang Museum Jakarta

Indonesia‘s Shadow Puppet Theater is well known as a part of local tradition with very long history. Every tribe in different regions in Indonesia has their own kind of puppet, we call it ‘wayang’. As a traveler, you might need to go all over the place to know deeply about various kind of wayang in Indonesia. But, for a glimpse? You should visit Wayang Museum Jakarta, because they have it all.

Wayang Museum Jakarta

Wayang Museum Jakarta

The Wayang Museum Jakarta is located in Jakarta Old Town area (Kota Tua), West Jakarta. It opens from 9 am to 3 pm with IDR 5 k entrance ticket per person.  The Wayang Museum Jakarta open almost every day except for Monday and any of Indonesia’s national holidays,  because museum’s maintenance should be done once a week.

Shadow Puppet (Wayang) made from Cow Skin

Shadow Puppet (Wayang) made from Cow Skin. Beautiful, isn’t?

Gundala-Gundala. North Sumatra Puppet that will play when local people asking about rain to God

Gundala-Gundala. North Sumatra Puppet (3 metre tall) that will play when local people ask for the rain from God

For foreigner who want to hear wonderful story about Indonesia’s shadow puppets, Wayang Museum Jakarta can provide you a free tour guide who knows very well about  their wayang collections. I recommend you all to ask about that tour guide service in Wayang Museum Jakarta front desk, it is really worth it. The tour guide will explain to you about background stories of some play in wayang show, how to make wayang, and everything you need to know about wayang. Make sure you do not miss that free service in Wayang Museum Jakarta.

How to Draw Wayang Instruction on  The Floor

How to Draw Wayang Instruction on The Floor

Beside various kind of local puppet shadows collection, Wayang Museum Jakarta also displays numerous dolls from countries like India, France, Cambodia, China, Germany, et cetera. It seems like puppet culture is a global culture that spread around the world.

Katakali Doll from Southern India

Katakali Doll from Southern India

Since 2007, Indonesian Wayang recognized as the world heritage of masterpiece creation by United Nation. So, I think Wayang Museum Jakarta should be a very interesting place to visit while you take a city tour Jakarta, right? 😀

Toko Merah Jakarta in Jakarta Old Town

The Red Shop – well known as ‘Toko Merah’ – always become my very first place to start exploring around Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua). Unfortunately, I found that not many local guide recommend Toko Merah Jakarta as an interesting place to visit when run a city tour Jakarta.

The fact is if I compare Toko Merah Jakarta with another tourist attraction place around Jakarta Old Town, Toko Merah might be put last on the list of visiting place choices. Less glamour, less attraction, no English speaking tour guide, and it is just a building, with no slide show, no history dioramas, no printed story, nothing.

Toko Merah (The Red Shop)

Toko Merah Jakarta (The Red Shop)

However, nothingness is not bad at all.

I realize that Toko Merah Jakarta offers us the silence, so we can absorb old vibe better than any place around.

Toko Merah's Main Lobby

Toko Merah’s Main Lobby

The building keeper told me that Toko Merah Jakarta was built in 1730 as the residence of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Gustaaf Willem baron van Imhoff. Afterwards, the ownership of this building changed several times, and the building function is changed as followed.  Hotel, Bank, Hospital, Warehouse, and when Toko Merah Jakarta owned by a Kapitein der Chinezen of Batavia, Oey Liauw Kong in 1851, it became a shop and private residence.

It was cashier counter  when Toko Merah had a bank function

It was cashier counter when Toko Merah Jakarta had a bank function

The Chinese Kapitein decorated the building, painted brick walls with red color, so it was known as Toko Merah. When he had decorated with his personal taste, he did not change the original building structure . Toko Merah Jakarta had kept Dutch building structure, with huge windows, double tall doors, high ceilings, hanging lamps, et cetera. So, the Chinese decoration blend with Dutch architecture until now. Quite interesting, right?

Lobby's Door

Toko Merah Lobby’s Door

Huge Window at 2nd floor

Huge Window at 2nd floor

Hanging Lamp

Hanging Lamp

So, when you do a city tour Jakarta in Jakarta Old Town area, make sure you put Toko Merah Jakarta on your visit list. You need to pay IDR 10 k for one person as an entrance ticket. Small money for a better understanding of Old Jakarta (Batavia) sounds remarkable, isn’t it?

Toko Merah is two building merged by its owner

Toko Merah : two building merged by its owner