Landmarks

From Kenya and Victoria
1. What is a famous landmark in Indonesia?
2. What is a famous landmark in Malaysia?

ANSWER: In all of Indonesia, probably one of the most famous landmarks is called the Borobudur Temple (see photo). It is one of the world's most complex buildings built before 800 A.D. and is a Buddhist temple, called a stupa, located in Magelang in Central Java. It is known for its decoration, class, and exceptional state of conservation. The Borobudur stupa is very big, proportioned, and which is two hundred meters in size on a small carved hill. The sculpture represents a solar model of the universe. One can walk through five kilometers of open corridors. The symbol describes the state of nirvana. The stupa is ornamented with 2676 panels and 504 Buddha statues. This place is not only a shrine but also homage of the Buddha. The visitors start their journey from the base of the temple and move to the third level that is on the top where there are 72 statues of the Buddha and the main monument. In Jakarta the most famous landmark would be the National monument or The Monas. The 137-meter tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35 kilograms of gold. It represents the people's determination to achieve freedom. It houses a historical museum and meditation hall, and is open to the public. An elevator carries visitors to the top, offering a bird's eye view across the city to the sea.

In Malaysia, one of the most famous landmarks would have to be the Petronas Twin Towers which was discussed as one of the subjects in tourism. But also there are the Batu Caves, which is a Hindu temple (see photo). You have to climb up 272 steps to get to the top (trust me, it's tiring, I've done it a few times) as you pass by the 140ft tall statue of Lord Murugan and people come here to pray, to sightsee, and to shop. It is the home of the Thaipusam festival which is the Hindu festival celebrating the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb.)