A father of independence
Hatta, Indonesia's first vice-president.
Crisco 1492 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Onyaso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Onyaso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · bennylin — CC BY-SA 4.0
The house where Mohammad Hatta was born in 1902 and spent his childhood until the age of eleven; he was one of the fathers of Indonesian independence, signed the 1945 proclamation beside Sukarno and became the republic's first vice-president. The house shown today is a careful rebuild of the original, giving a picture of a notable Bukittinggi home of the early twentieth century. The two-storey timber house holds the family rooms, kitchen, stable and rice store, with old furniture, photographs and belongings telling of Hatta's childhood and his schooling in Bukittinggi, then Padang and Jakarta, and on to his studies in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Entry is usually free, with donations welcome, and it opens in daytime. The visit is short, twenty minutes to half an hour. It is a few minutes' walk from the Jam Gadang square, so make it a stop on a city walk. For anyone interested in modern Indonesian history, it shows the milieu from which many of the country's leaders of Minangkabau origin emerged.
Hatta, Indonesia's first vice-president.
A notable's home of the early 1900s.
On a city-centre walk.
Jalan Soekarno Hatta, central Bukittinggi
Fort de Kock and Limpapeh BridgeA fort the Dutch built in 1825 on a high hill in the heart of Bukittinggi during7 minutes walk
Jam Gadang Clock TowerThe emblem and heart of Bukittinggi, a clock tower on the central square near th8 minutes walk
Japanese Tunnels, BukittinggiA network of defensive tunnels the Japanese army dug under Bukittinggi during it15 minutes walk
Sianok Canyon and the Japanese TunnelsA deep, steep-sided canyon winding along the edge of Bukittinggi, its red and gr15 minutes walkNo, it is a careful rebuild on the same site after the original fell, but the furniture and belongings give a true picture of the family's life.