Kasongan

Visiting Kasongan village, the tourists will be welcomed warmly by local inhabitants. They may have a look the showroom crowded with ceramic handicrafts. If they are interested in seeing the ceramics making, tourists can visit some ceramic galleries that produce the special handicrafts at site. The processes are material kneading, shaping, drying that takes 2-4 days and burning before finally being finished using wall paint or roof-tile paint. Working collectively, a gallery is usually a family business run from generation to the next generation. Even though ceramics making is now involving neighbors of surrounding dwelling place of the gallery owner, the family is still responsible for material selection and production monitoring. At the beginning, these ceramics did not have style at all. The legend of the dead horse, however, inspired the craftsmen to create horse motifs on many products, especially the horses carrying earthenware goods or roof-tiles complete with bamboo basket placed on the horseback, in addition to frog, rooster and elephant motifs.

The entering modern influence and culture from outside through various media and the first introduction of Kasongan to public by Sapto Hudoyo around 1971-1972 with artistic and commercial touch and commercially sold in major scale by Sahid Keramik around 1980s enables tourists to see various ceramic motifs. Tourists can even order motifs to their like such as peacock, dragon, rose and others. The types of self production include so many forms. They do not only make kid toys (sounding toys, frog, and money box) and kitchen tools (kuali, pengaron, kendil, dandang, kekep, and others). Entering the gate of Kasongan village, you will see ceramics galleries that sell ornamental items alongside the street. The forms and functions have varied, from small ashtray to flower vase as high as one's shoulder. The ornamental goods either have functions or merely as ornament. One of famous ceramic displays is statue of a couple sitting in polite position. This statue is named Loro Blonyo at the first time by Loro Blonyo gallery owned by Walujo. This statue is adopted from a bridal couple owned by Yogyakarta Kingdom. In Javanese language, Loro means two or a couple, while Blonyo means to be made over through bathing and making up. "The real meaning of Loro Blonyo, however, is still in question among craftsmen in Kasongan," Giman said.

The existing belief of Loro Blonyo statue that brings luck and perpetual family life when located at home, as Giman told YogYES, brings positive impact on the sales of this statue. Some foreigners place order of special statues in certain forms such as dancer, guitar player, models and others. The clothes are not standard Javanese anymore; special clothes of some countries are adopted; statues in Balinese and Thailand clothes are found most. Some ceramic galleries sell this statue in different styles. Since the end of the twentieth century, after economy crisis hit Indonesia, tourists may find other products other than earthenware goods.

References : www.yogyes.com 

Madukismo Sugar Factory

Visiting Madukismo Sugar Factory, you will feel the nuance of the early industry era. An old, big building with vast yard, old machineries and the railway track used for flatcar to transport sugarcane will greet you and stress such an impression. This factory offers tour enjoyment that is different from others. You can make an appointment first with the management of the company in order to enjoy Madukismo Agro Tourism is tour package since it is not done anytime. When you come to the factory area, you will see Madu Chandya building that is located close to the factory. Then, you will be guided to know the making process of sugar from the sugarcane and the methylated spirit as the side product of sugar. The explanation is given by utilizing audiovisual equipments in order to make the presentation interesting.

A short journey on an old train can be made after the presentation. You will be able to feel the nuance of a travel in the past when you are in the compartment of the old train driven by diesel machine made in Germany. The old train will bring you around the factory area and the sugar can plantation close to the factory.

Getting down from the train, you will go to the location of the factory. If you come in May - September, you will be able to see the processes of sugar production directly. The processes include molasses tapping, molasses distillation, molasses evaporation, crystallization, sugar stirring and packaging. While observing the production process, you can look at the old machines used in the factory.

Exiting the location of sugar factory, you can go to methylated spirit factory of Madukismo that is located at the west of the sugar factory. In the factory that was built in the same time as the sugar factory, you will see the processes of the spirit production that include raw material dilution, fermentation and distillation. Methylated spirit and other alcohol products produced by this factory are processed from molasses, side product of sugar production.

If you have completed your tour in the factory, you should not rush home. You can still enjoy many things around the factory area. Tracking the route of sugar cane transportation through sugar cane field and villages in Bantul area is an interesting to do. To the east of the factory, you can also see old train compartments that are not functional anymore.

The used irons from this factory location were brought to Thailand to construct Kwai River bridge, the bride connecting Thailand to Burma as the battle location during the Second World War and was filmed on The Bridge of the Kwai River that won 7 Oscars in 1957, included the Best Movie award. Now, the bridge that was built using the used irons from Madukismo Sugar Factory becomes one of the main tour destinations in Thailand to commemorate the raid by the allied Forces and the forced labors.

 

If you come at the early time of sugarcane pressing (May-September), you will see the ritual of cembengan done by the workers and the community around the factory. The ritual is intended to wish the best luck for the sugarcane pressing to be done smoothly. During the ritual, you can see the bride and bridegroom sugarcanes, the first sugarcane pressing, jathilan performance, community market, plantation of buffalo's and cow's heads, offerings, reading of Koran holy verses and night-long performance of leather puppet show. If you want to leave for Kasongan village that is located some kilometers from the factory you can travel southwards.

Taman Sari / Water Castle

Formerly Tamansari was a recreation garden or a resting house for the Sultan and Family. The other resting houses including Warungboto, Manukberi, Ambarbingun, and Ambarrukmo functioned for the vacation and meditation for the royal family. The other function is used as hiding place for royal family to defend against the enemy assault.

Tamansari is located about 2 km south of Yogyakarta Palace. Built by Portuguese architect in European aquatic construction adorned with Javanese Symbolize ornaments. Tamansari was built in the Sultan Hamengku Buwono I period in the end of XVII Century. Tamansari not only just a recreation, but it's also a compound of bathing pool, canals, rooms and extremerly large swimming pool (if the canals opened).

Taman Pintar / Jogja Science Park

Science Park growth of that technology and science, is something that though to thank goodness because promising amenity to make up of civilization of human being. Howeever growth of science also hide challenge in the form of human being attitude to the accelerating growth of it self technology and science.

Program development of Bright Garden in general divided in the plan in general, planning and execution of development and also planning and execution of content items. Planning of content items have instruction to be able to submit technology and science to overall of target group. Approach to submit technology and science through various media with a purpose to improve apresiasi to technology and science.

Marginally items fill Bright Garden divided according to age group divided of age mount pre go to school till garden of elementary school till high school, while according to emphasis of items realized in interaction between visitor with sent items existing bridge.

Bridge as media to submit content items compiled by totally start from bridge as medium of games, introductory bridge, exact elementary items bridge till bridge which is applying of technology and science. Planning of content items bridge compiled with game concept and presentation followed with clarification of sent items.

Items content concept compiled in the form of sub - theme sub at the same time room zonasi to later, then realized in the form of bridge - bridge as media to submit items which consist in.