Chinadaily Asia, Friday, February 7, 2014, 15:23

By ANDRE VLTCHEK and CRISTA PRISCILLA in Trowulan, Indonesia

Once center of an influential Asian empire, this Javanese site needs help to protect and promote its historic structures.

Silence is a rare occurrence on the noisy, densely populated Indonesian island of Java. But at the Trowulan historic area, ancient temples, ritual water deposits and excavation sites are quiet and hardly ever crowded. Just a few tourists and small groups of local students are usually present to disturb the calm.

Sugarcane — a staple crop in the area — grows high and ancient villages are lost in the middle of its fields, interconnected only by narrow roads. This is a land of ancient legends and myths, of animism mixed with Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism — a land of departed greatness and faded importance.

The Trowulan site is believed to have been the capital of Majapahit, a vast archipelagic empire that existed from around 1300 to 1500. In the 14th century it reached its peak, and was so powerful that it managed to conquer much of modern-day Southeast Asia. Its sphere of influence spread across regions that are now part of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand, the Philippines and East Timor.

And this is only what historians have managed to prove. It is possible that the Majapahit Empire actually controlled an even greater geographic area. What is certain is that it was one of the most important and last empires of Southeast Asia, and a true cultural powerhouse.

Negarakertagama, a eulogy written by the poet Empu Prapanca to King Hayam Wuruk of the Majapahit kingdom, is listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World register, a program run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to help preserve the world’s documentary heritage.

Trowulan has also for several years been on the tentative list for consideration for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its subscription begins by explaining that the Trowulan site is the only city-site of the Hindu-Buddhist classical age in Indonesia that can still be found.

Covering an area of almost 100 square kilometers, the Trowulan area was suitable for human settlement since it was supported by plain topography with relatively shallow groundwater. The UNESCO subscription goes on to say: “Hundreds of thousands of archaeological remnants of the old city in the Trowulan site were found buried underground as well as on the surface in the form of artifacts, eco-facts, and features.”

But Majapahit’s glory has so far failed to capture the imagination of large numbers of tourists, either domestic or from overseas. Unlike other historic sites in Java, like the temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan, Majapahit feels abandoned, even dejected.

This may change in the near future, as archeologists, historians and government officials in Indonesia are suddenly beginning to realize the tremendous importance of these seemingly humble structures.

Aries Daryanto, for example, an architect, believes that Trowulan is as important as Java’s more famous sites.

“The government should make Trowulan its big project with a large budget covering several years,” he says. “And it should treat it with the same importance as the restoration of Borobudur in which UNESCO was involved.”

Daryanto suggests that it should be a non-profit project, with private sector involvement limited to a supporting role.

“The government also has to come up with the bylaws, to prohibit any physical development within a certain radius from the site, perhaps a 5 to 10 km radius. It is time we had a leader who would be concerned with the nation’s cultural heritage and the problems it is facing,” he says.

Imam, an elderly caretaker at the site, explains that locals and the visitors who make it to Trowulan display great respect for the site and its history.

“All around here is a complex combination of Muslim and Kejawen (Javanese) culture, on top of it mixed with Hindu,” he says. “If there is a wedding or any other important celebration, the local god is definitely expecting lavish gifts. And we always give, in order to appease him.”

Not everybody is as considerate, however. There have been attempts to build on the land, which is considered by local people to be holy. Imam explains that there have been two cases of intrusion so far.

“Once there was digging — the beginning of an attempt to construct some government building,” he says, “but underneath was found an important temple … And people got very angry over the incident.”

The second case was when a steel company wanted to build a factory on the land, which was also strongly resisted by local people.

The area around the temple appears to be poor, but it has dignity. People sit in circles, eating and smoking, and are respectful towards visitors. Unlike at so many other historic sites in Java and Bali, here are no touts aggressively selling souvenirs or tours.

Abdul Rozak, the curator of the Archaeological Museum at the site, explains that improvements are gradually taking place.

“We are now in a process of finishing a new covered observation terrace over what used to be a historic village,” he says. “The work began in the year 2000, and according to the plan it was already supposed to be finished by the end of 2010. But now the work is accelerating and the terrace will be finished soon.”

The existing museum is to be expanded to help bring the site to international attention.

“What you see here is one of the major attempts to create an academic, economic and ideological identity of this country,” Rozak says.

By Indonesian standards, the Archeological Museum is impressive, with some extremely valuable statues and artifacts. Right next to it are sizeable open excavation sites, while the viewing terraces and roofs mentioned by the curator are almost complete.

“This site is very important for our country,” Rozak says, “because it delivers and highlights all important values coming from our ancestors. It is not just a nostalgic monument, but it is a place where we can learn and study about how great our nation used to be.”

At the magnificent Candi Tikus (Temple of the Mouse), a local teenager, Sella, says that is a privilege to live so close to the site and be able to visit it frequently. “Our school takes us every Saturday here, so we can study,” she says.

So what does the future hold for the remnants of Trowulan, the grand kingdom that disappeared so many centuries ago?

Many ideas have been introduced, but were too often badly implemented. The government was planning to create a historic Majapahit Park in 2008, but the project stopped a year later because countless artifacts and excavation sites were damaged during the construction. Errors were made, and architects were sanctioned.

Initially, the government had viewed the site as a potential cash cow, and hoped that it could attract hoards of people and a flow of money. But what followed was an outcry from historians and architects, both local and foreign.

Now it appears that Trowulan, the largest archeological and historic site in Indonesia, is finally gaining recognition and respect.

Extension of the museum is nearing completion. Many sites are now being marked and protected, and while infrastructure is still lacking, it may improve in the future.

But many experts believe that UNESCO should get involved and supervise all projects in the area. It is clear that for now the reconstruction of many temples is too amateurish, while unskilled laborers, rather than highly trained construction workers, are building new structures.

But conservation efforts are steadily being made and there is great chance that, thanks to Trowulan, East Java will soon appear on the list of world-class historic sites.(Chinadaily Asia, 7 Feb 2014)