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HIDDEN WONDERS OF RIAU PROVINCE

Riau Province as one of the provinces in Indonesia is rich in history and culture. The capital city of Riau Province is Pekanbaru City. It is located in the central part of Sumatra Island. Riau Province is also known for its abundant natural resources, so it is not surprising that this province is dubbed as the most prosperous province in Indonesia. The following are snippets of the facts on Riau Province.

  1. History traces of the Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom and the Islamic Sultanate

Muara Takus Temple, which is located in Kampar Regency, Riau Province, proves that the Srivijaya Kingdom has once controlled this area. The Srivijaya Kingdom flourished in Riau around the 7th to the 14th century and influenced the Hindu-Buddhist tradition. Then, Islam gradually spread through the Riau region and the Siak Sultanate became the largest Islamic Malay kingdom in Riau. This sultanate had its glory from the 16th century to the 20th century. We can see the heritage of the sultanate at the Siak Sri Indrapura Palace, Siak Regency, Riau.

  1. Natural Resources

This province is rich in petroleum, gas, and coal.  In addition, there are also palm oil plantations, copra, rubber, and other forest products.

  1. Ethnic Diversity

The population in Riau Province is quite diverse. Predominantly, there are the Malays, then the Javanese, Batak, Minangkabau, Bugis, Banjar, Hokkien, Chinese, Arabs, Tamil, and several other ethnicities. This diversity also affects the regional culture and language in Riau Province. Jawi script is still taught in Riau schools because it is dominated by the Malay culture.

  1. Gastronomy Tourism

Culinary in Riau Province is heavily influenced by the Malay and Minangkabau cuisine. Traditional Malay and Minangkabau cuisine is rich in spices and coconut milk. Every Malay dish is usually served with nasi (rice) or nasi lemak and people eat it with their hands (without spoons). The signature dish in this province is patin fish (a species of catfish) curry and asam pedas (spicy sour flavors made of tamarind juice and chili paste). Asam pedas is a Malay-Minangkabau dish. Furthermore, there are also signature Riau snacks, like roti Jala (net pancake) and roti canai.

  1. Nature Tourism

Popular nature tourism in Riau Province is marine tourism such as Jemur Island, North Rupat Beach Tanjung Medang, and Ketapang Beach. Beside marine tourism, you can also visit the Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park which conserves various types of rare Indonesian flora and fauna.

Those are some hidden wonders of Riau Province. Which tourist attraction is on your vacation list?

Provinsi Riau merupakan salah satu provinsi di Indonesia yang kaya akan sejarah dan budayanya. Ibu kota Provinsi Riau yaitu Kota Pekanbaru. Provinsi yang terletak di bagian tengah Pulau Sumatra ini dikenal dengan melimpahnya sumber daya alam sehingga tidak heran jika provinsi ini dijuluki sebagai provinsi termakmur di Indonesia. Berikut cuplikan fakta-fakta Provinsi Riau.

  1. Jejak Kerajaan Hindu-Buddha dan Kesultanan Islam

Candi Muara Takus yang berlokasi di Kabupaten Kampar, Provinsi Riau, membuktikan bahwa Kerajaan Sriwijaya pernah menguasai wilayah ini. Kerajaan Sriwijaya berada di Riau sekitar pada abad ketujuh hingga abad ke-14 dan memengaruhi tradisi Hindu-Buddha. Kemudian, Islam mulai masuk ke wilayah Riau dan Kesultanan Siak menjadi kerajaan Melayu Islam terbesar di Riau. Kesultanan ini berjaya pada abad ke-16 sampai abad ke-20. Peninggalan kesultanan dapat kita lihat di Istana Siak Sri Indrapura, Kabupaten Siak, Riau.

  1. Sumber Daya Alam

Hasil bumi di provinsi ini meliputi minyak bumi, gas, dan batu bara. Selain itu, terdapat pula perkebunan kelapa sawit, kopra, karet, dan hasil hutan lainnya.

  1. Keanekaragaman Suku Bangsa

Penduduk di Provinsi Riau cukup beragam. Suku bangsa yang paling dominan di provinsi ini yaitu suku Melayu, lalu suku Jawa, Batak, Minangkabau, Bugis, Banjar, Hokkien, Tionghoa, Arab, Tamil, dan beberapa suku lain. Keanekaragaman ini pun memengaruhi budaya dan bahasa daerah di Provinsi Riau. Huruf Jawi masih diajarkan di sekolah-sekolah Riau karena didominasi oleh budaya Melayu.

  1. Wisata Kuliner

Kuliner di Provinsi Riau banyak dipengaruhi oleh masakan Melayu dan Minangkabau. Masakan tradisional Melayu dan Minangkabau kaya akan bumbu dan santan. Setiap masakan Melayu biasanya disajikan dengan nasi atau nasi lemak dan orang-orang menyantapnya dengan tangan (tidak pakai sendok). Menu istimewa di provinsi ini yaitu gulai ikan patin dan asam pedas. Asam pedas merupakan masakan Melayu-Minangkabau. Selain itu, ada pula kudapan spesial yaitu roti jala dan roti canai khas Riau.

  1. Wisata Alam

Wisata alam yang populer di Provinsi Riau yaitu wisata bahari seperti di Pulau Jemur, Pantai Rupat Utara Tanjung Medang, dan Pantai Ketapang. Di samping wisata bahari, Anda bisa mengunjungi Taman Nasional Bukit Tiga Puluh yang melindungi berbagai jenis flora dan fauna langka Indonesia.

Itulah beberapa fakta tentang Provinsi Riau. Manakah objek wisata yang masuk ke daftar liburan Anda?

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