Bukittinggi, Sumatera - Deep In The Minang Heartland, Bukittinggi, Indonesia

One word that greatly sums up the interior highlands of Western Sumatera, Indonesia. It鈥檚 not just the coexistence between human and nature striking harmonic balance but the strict adherence of the Minang people to their 鈥淎dat Perpatih,鈥� centuries-old customs that are almost exclusively matrilineal, is something to be respected.

This place is both blessed and cursed 鈥� where its inhabitants can reap bountiful harvests all year long as long as the volcanoes decide not erupt and wipe out an entire civilization.聽Existential threats aside, Bukittinggi and its surrounding villages are a treasure trove of the Minang culture, from hand-woven songket to the archipelago-famous dishes of nasi padang.

The bull-horned roof of the Rumah Gadang, meaning 鈥渂ig house,鈥� is as iconic as you can get when it comes to Minang architecture.

The outrageously pointed tops can be traced back to the origin of the wods 鈥渕inang鈥� (victorious) and 鈥渒abau鈥� (buffalo) where a local supposedly ingeniously won a bull-fight against a prince to settle a territorial dispute. A fine specimen of the Rumah Gadang is found at the town of Padangpanjang, 20 km out of Bukittinggi. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).

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Guide Name: Bukittinggi, Sumatera - Deep In The Minang Heartland
Guide Location: Indonesia » Bukittinggi
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Danial Ariff Bin Ahmad Nordin
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