Culture

Indonesia

• © UNESCO
• Wayang Puppet Theatre

Indonesia is represented on the World Heritage List by three cultural sites and four natural sites.

The site of Borobudur, which is one of the pearls of Indonesia's cultural heritage, was the focus of a vast safeguarding campaign under the auspices of UNESCO from 1972 to 1983. Borobudur today attracts millions of visitors each year and must be carefully monitored in order to prevent damage to monuments, while generating income for the local communities.

Indonesia receives support from UNESCO for the rehabilitation of the Prambanan World Heritage Site and Taman Sari Water Castle, which were damaged by an earthquake in May 2006.

Aware of the need to raise awareness among its citizens — and particularly young people — of the importance of their national heritage, the country has published a world heritage teaching kit in the Bahasa language with UNESCO's assistance.

In the field of intangible heritage, the Wayang Puppet theatre was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003. An action plan has been established to encourage the transmission of this art form to young generations and to enhance its image among the general public. The Indonesian Kris received this distinction in 2005. Moreover, Indonesia receives support from UNESCO to document and preserve Uma’ Kulit and Oma Lu, two endangered isolects, or languages derived from Kenyah,

In the framework of UNESCO's programme for the safeguarding and re-establishment of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the post-tsunami environment of Aceh province, children's books devoted to local traditions and cultures have been published.