One of the most famous attractions in Jakarta is the Wayang Museum. Wayang is a traditional Indonesian form of theatre where puppets and human dancers are used in the performance. The puppet performance in Wayang uses the concept of shadow puppets; using figures made of leather, or ordinary routine with wooden figures.
The Wayang Museum houses a collection of traditional puppets from all over the country as well as from other countries where this concept had spread to over the years. The establishment to showcase this cultural heritage of Indonesia was initiated by the Governor of DKI Jakarta, H. Ali Sadikin in 1974, and the Wayang Museum was officially opened in 1975.
The collection on display at the Wayang Musuem is varied and vast providing the visitor with a good understanding of the Indonesian culture. They come is various sizes, both big and small, and the leather figures are the most popular. These include leather wayangs such as Tejokusuman, Surakarta, Cirebon, Sadat, Sasak, Wahyu, Kencana, Klitik, Kedu, Ngabean, Banyumas, Gedog, Madia Krucil, Kaper, Kijang Ukur, Suluh, and Beber.
The collection also represents Scarce, Suket, Intan, Revolusi and Beber types of figures. The wooden puppet collection includes Si Gale-Gale from Tanah Batak, and Gundala-Gundala from Tanah Karo, and also interesting specimens from Cepak, Catur, Kebumen, Cirebon, Bandung and Pekalongan. Visitors may also be interested in the collection of magnificent masks on display at the Wayang Museum, whose styles represent Bali, Cirebon and Java cultures. Items such as Blencong Lamp, wayangs made of glass and zinc, several paintings, and gamelan are some of the stuff that has been sources from the other countries in the regional as well as countries from around the world. These include Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Surinam, Kelantan, and France.
Visitors to Jakarta have the option of exploring various other attractions in the city that portray the interesting history as well as the vibrant culture of Indonesia. For accommodation options visitors may try a Jakarta hotel, budget accommodation or a luxury hotel. Any villa, guest house, or hotel Jakarta has on offer can be easily booked online. For a modern retreat with all necessary facilities and amenities try the Alila Jakarta.