JAM GADANG BUKITTINGGI (CLOCK TOWER / BIG CLOCK)

Jam Gadang at the night

Jam Gadang

Bukittinggi is known as a tourist city in West Sumatera. It is known as the twin of Negeri Sembilan Malaysia. One of the tourist object attractions is the Jam Gadang (Clock Tower) in Bukittinggi. Jam Gadang mean big clock, it is located in the center of Bukittinggi, it is called Pasa Ateh (Pasar Atas).

inside of Jam Gadang

Jam Gadang is a clock tower with a height of 26 meters and a baseline measure approximately 13 x 4 m2. It have four clock with diameter 80 cm for each clock, and clock are located at the top of the tower. The clocks were imported directly from Rotterdam, Netherlands, when Dutch colonialism in Indonesia and the engine is mechanically, it was produced by the engine that were made only two units in the world, it were namely the Jam Gadang and Big Ben in London, England.

pendulum/bell

Clock Of Jam Gadang

Jam Gadang consist of several level and there is a pendulum in the top level. When the earthquake in 2007, the pendulum is broken and had to repair. At the bell, there manufacture’s written, Vortmann Relinghausen. Vortman is a watchmaker that Bernard Vortman and Recklinghausen is a city in Germany that manufactures engine hours in 1982. There are unique from the clock tower which is a mix of materials makes the tower without iron or cement, but only a mixture of lime, egg white and white sand. And then occurrence of an error writing Roman numerals at the number IV written be IIII..

Jam Gadang was built in 1926 as a gift from the Queen of the Netherlands to Rook Maker secretary Fort De Cock in the reign of the Dutch East Indies. Jam Gadang was designed by Yazin Sutan Gigi Ameh and laying of the first stone by Rook Maker's first son who was 6 years old. Jam Gadang as a marker and the zero point of Bukittinggi. Shape of Jam Gadang’s roof has changed three times as well, the first time occupation of the Dutch East Indies government, shape of roof is round with rooster statue faces east on it. Then when the Japanese occupation was changed to a temple and last after Indonesia's independence, shape of roof was changed to a gonjong or to house’s roof in traditional Minangkabau.

The Occupational of Dutch Government

The Occupational of Japanese Government

Clock Tower is now used as a tourist attraction and has a surrounding parks include clowns who entertain visitors around the Clock Tower. Usually the public event are organized around the park near the tower. If visitors want to go to the top of the tower should pay some of money, and from above we would look beautiful town of Bukittinggi, panoramas and canyons Sianok.