Bung Karno Monument in Blitar City, East Java Province

Blitar City is commonly known as the place where the first Indonesia President is buried. No wonder, tourists may find lots of vacation spots that relate to Bung Karno. For instance, there is Bung Karno Monument. The location is in Gedog Village and it belongs to Sananwetan Sub-District. Tourists only need to reach Imam Bonjol Street to get to this statue. The inauguration was done by Megawati (Soekarno’s daughter). The official name is Bung Karno Putra Sang Fajar Monument, actually. It has become a welcoming statue in Blitar City. Another function is to lure tourists and outsiders, without a doubt.

The Nuance
For the information, Bung Karno Putra Sang Fajar Monument is the fifth statue. It is because tourists can find other statues in different places including at Gebang Palace, Bung Karno Grave, Blitar government office, and Jalan Sumatra crossroad. The statue is tall and it indeed resembles Indonesia’s first president. The pose is standing and the statue carries a commanding stick in its left hand. It was made by a Yogyakarta sculptor and features bronze layers (which is about 1 cm in the thickness). As for the weight, it is around 5 tons!

Exploring Bung Karno Monument
Even though not all tourists are interested to visit Bung Karno Monument, they would drop by when passing the location. Otherwise, it would be a waste. As for the motive, it varies. Most of the tourists are likely to take photos of the statue or take selfies in front of it. Have no worries. The area is safe enough for them despite the crowd or the traffic. They only need to find the right time to visit it.

Aside from photography, tourists would visit Bung Karno Monument to find further information regarding the inauguration and the purpose of the building. According to the local government, the construction took about 8 months! The height is around 9 meters, so it is noticeable enough even from afar. As for the function, the statue welcomes visitors or outsiders who come to Blitar City. Another purpose is to recall the president’s role to the nation back then.

It is recommended to carry a camera when visiting Bung Karno Monument, for sure. Even though the site is good enough for relaxation or hanging out, tourists should not miss the chance to collect photos during the visit. Also, they must find a reliable local person or guide who can tell information regarding the monument.

Nearby Attractions

• Kampung Cyber
• Nggrebo Bridge
• Gebang Palace

How to Get There
From Surabaya City, a trip to Blitar City takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. It is because the distance is 155 km. The trip becomes faster if tourists take Surabaya – Mojokerto Highway, though. Once they arrive at Blitar, the next destination would be Gedog Village at Sananwetan Sub-District where the monument resides. The best route to take is Nasional III Street and the distance is 2.9 km. That means this trip would take only about 8-10 minutes. Have no worries. The statue is quite noticeable due to its tall size.

Where to Stay

• Herlingga Jaya Hotel
• Retno 1 Inn