The first literary museum
In Indonesia.
Haris Yunanda Rangkuti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Haris Yunanda Rangkuti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Haris Yunanda Rangkuti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Raflinoer32 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Indonesia's first literary museum, founded by the novelist Andrea Hirata in 2010 in his home town of Gantong in East Belitung to celebrate reading and his novel The Rainbow Troops, which tells of his childhood here and the struggle of ten poor pupils and their teacher at a crumbling Muhammadiyah school; it sold millions of copies, was translated into many languages and became a famous film in 2008. The museum is a brightly painted timber house full of quotations, photographs and covers of translations, rooms devoted to the novel's characters, a book corner, and a traditional café serving coolie coffee the Belitung way. Nearby stands a replica of the leaning wooden schoolhouse where the film was shot, where people sit at its old desks. The museum ticket is about IDR 50,000, including a booklet from the novel. The replica school nearby charges a token fee. Gantong is about an hour and a half by car from Tanjung Pandan, so make it a day trip to the east of the island.
In Indonesia.
Novel and film about Belitung's children.
A replica of the film set.
Gantong, East Belitung
No, the museum explains the story with photos and quotations, but watching the film before visiting brings the replica school and its characters to life.