Pekanbaru, the provincial capitol lies in Sumatra, just east of the Bukit Barisan mountain range and is developing quickly. It only became the provincial capital in 1959, taking over from the former capital of Tanjung Pinang on the island of Bintan. Tanjung Pinang is, however, still the most important town in the province. It's proximity to Singapore has made it a main business and shopping port and together with the nearby island of Batam, is promising to become an area of major investment and development in the years ahead. The future looks bright for Riau because of it's strategic position with the rest of Asia. It is rapidly being developed as a major economic zone.

 

 

RIAU : BRIEF HISTORY

The 3,000 islands of the Riau province straddle the Straits of Malacca, one of the oldest and business trading routes in the world. For centuries the islands have provided a safe haven to traders and sailors from Europe, India and China and as a result they have strong foreign historical links. Riau, which includes a large part of East Sumatra, is the heartland of the Malays and the source of Indonesia's Malay-based national language. The first book of Malay grammar, called Bustanul Katibin, was written and published here in 1857 and Malay was also adapted by foreign seafarers and traders in the 14th and 15th centuries so that they could communicate and be successful,  effectively creating a language of trade and power.
The Kingdom of Malacca played a leading role in the history of the area since its founding in 1402 by Parameswara. With the arrival of the Portuguese however, a period of wars for control of the Malay states around the Straits, began. The situation was aggravated with the arrival of the Dutch and British in the early l 7th century. A turbulent conflict followed which was partially resolved by the Treaty of London in 1824, which gave the Dutch control of all territories claimed by European countries south of Singapore. This area included Riau, and effectively severed its links with Johor and the mainland. The Dutch subjugated and dissolved the rebellious Riau Sultanate in 1911, but the province's  influence remained strong.

RIAU : PLACES OF INTEREST

Pekanbaru About 160 kilometers upstream on the Siak river, Pekanbaru, Riau's provincial capital, has a number of buildings in the traditional style of the area, among them the Balai Dong Merdu, the Balai Adat and Taman Budaya Riau or Riau Cultural Park.

The Siak Sultanate's Park This Moorish style palace of the Sultan of Sick, 120 kilometers upsteam from Pekanbaru on the siak river, was built in 1889 by Sultan Syarif Hasyim Abdul Jalil Syarifuddin. Now a museum the palace contains the sultanate's royal paraphernalia and other items of historical interest. Established during the 16th century, the Siak Seri Inderapura sultanate lasted until 1946, when it become victim to the popular upheavals following the Japanese surrender at the close of World War 11.

Penyengat Island The island , six kilometers away from Tanjung Pinang, can be reached in 15 minutes by sampan boat. The sea of the powerful Bugis-descended viceroys of Riau during the 18th century, Penyengat still bears the traces of its illustrious past. Ruines, abandoned for almost 70 years, were recently restored. The old ruler's palace and royal tombs, among them the grave of the book respected Sultan Haji, outhor of the first Malay Language grammar use is the old viceroyal mosque, the Mesjid Raya. A newly built cultural stage performance of the Malay music and dances can also be found.

Kerumutan Nature Reserve Located on mainland Riau in   the Kuala Kampar district, this 120,000 hectares (30,000 acres) nature reserve can be reached in 18 hours by motor boat from Pekanbaru. The boat sails up a calm river surrounded by virgin forests.

Candi Muara Takus Like many other structures of its kind in Sumatra, this Buddhist stupa near the village of Muara Takus in the Tigabelas Koto district, was built with red bricks and sand. The temple is believed to have been built at around the 9th or 10th century A.D. when the power of the South Sumatra-bassed Sriwijaya empire was at its peak. Excavations are still being made to determine the precise age and function of the stupa.

The island of Batam A very strategic island in Indonesia, Batam lies close to Singapore, designed as a centre of not only industry, but also tourism and trade. It is one among Indonesia's key locations of industrial growth. The Batuampar area is called a pioneer area and is being rapidly developed. While in the region of Sekupang significant projects have been in progress. The Nongsa region has been set aside as a recreation area. Four golf courses, hotels motels and marina sports facilities are there as well as a forest reserve managed by the Batam Industrial Development Authority. The Batam Centre is designed for the administrative and commercial centre of Batam island. Hotels of international standard have recently been completed on Nongsa Beach. Batam can be reached in two hours from Tanjung Pinang by ferry, and in about half an hour from Singapore.

Tanjung Pinang A busy little town on Bintan Island, visited by traders from Jakarta, Medan, Palembang and other big cities in Indonesia, Tanjung Pinang is only a two-hour boat ride away from Singapore. The town has a Museum located on jl. Katamso. A large section of the old part of the town was build in traditional local fashion, on stilts, over the water. Bintan is a good of departure to other islands in the area.

Beaches Riau with its thousands of islands ha plenty of scenic beaches and diving spots, among them Trikora on Bintan and Pasir Panjang on Rupat island. The first is about 50 kilometers south of Tanjung Pinang on the eastern side of the island. Pasar Panjang, on the northern side of Rupat facing the Strait of Malacca, is a stretched out natural beach with waves that make it attractive for surfing. Good beaches are also found on the islands Terkulai and Soreh, about on hour's distance boat from Tanjung Pinang. One of the most popular beaches is Nangsa on Batam island from from here one can the Singapore skyline.

Sea Garden Sea gardens with beautiful corals and fish are found in the waters around the  islands of Mapor, Abang, Pompang, Balang and Tanjung Pinang.