Batik is one of Indonesia’s cultural heritages which has been officially registered with UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. Lots of batik centers spread across Indonesia. One of them is Kampung Batik Semarang.
This village is known as the center of batik in Semarang. You can see various batik motifs produced around this batik village. Like more information? Come on, take a look at Advontura’s discussion this time.
History of Semarang Batik Village
In ancient times, this village was well known as a center for batik crafts, especially during the Dutch colonial period. The history of batik in Semarang emerged around the 1800s, along with the founding of the city of Semarang at that time. Semarang batik has motifs such as butterflies and shoe flower motifs which have a broad meaning.
Batik Semarang itself is a blend of Javanese, Chinese and Arabic cultures. The combination is then poured into a motif called Warak Ngendog. Around 1970 to 1980, the existence of this Batik Village had died because there were no batik activities taking place at that time.
Communities around the batik village then try to revive batik activity. Semarang batik village came back to life around 2005. This time, there is a touch of the younger generation so that the batik village looks more attractive and more unique. This village was later known as a historical place in the development of batik in Semarang.
Location of Semarang Batik Village
The location of Semarang Batik Village is in the Rejomulyo Village area, East Semarang District, precisely at Jalan Batik No. 698A, Semarang City. You can use Semarang Old Town or Pasar Johar as a benchmark.
To get to this village, you need to direct your vehicle to the Bubakan Roundabout. The gate of Kampung Batik is on Jalan Pattimura which is not far from the Bubakan Roundabout. Visitors will only be charged a parking fee and don’t need to worry about paying an entrance ticket.
Currently, Kampung Batik has undergone various renovations. The village has been decorated with various decorative lights that make the village atmosphere even more attractive. The owner of the batik center also routinely replaces old items with the newest products.
Activities That Can Be Done in Kampung Batik Semarang
If you visit this batik village, here are the activities you can do:
Studying the Meaning of Batik Motifs
Each batik motif has its own meaning. This philosophical meaning is the uniqueness of batik art. In addition to unique and beautiful motifs, batik has its own meaning in each of its motifs. In this batik village, you can learn and understand more about the meaning contained in a batik cloth.
In fact, you can also see other types of batik originating from various regions in Indonesia, because the batik craftsmen in this village do not only make Semarang batik. You can also learn how batik, which was once known as a palace dress, is now a dress for the general public.
Learn to Make Batik
Besides sightseeing, you can also learn to make batik. The technique taught is usually the canting technique. Mencanting itself is the main method that is often used in the process of making batik cloth. This technique is a technique that makes batik seem expensive. This is because the materials used are still natural and time consuming is not short.
Each shop provides facilities for those of you who want to learn how to make batik using canting. You can even create your own motifs. Currently, many people like to learn batik because the process is not easy, even foreign tourists also learn to draw batik using a canting.
Buying Batik Cloth with Various Motives
It’s incomplete if you visit and learn to make batik without buying batik cloth typical of this village. You can find lots of batik shops that provide various types of beautiful batik motifs. You can not only find typical Semarang batik, but also batik motifs from various regions in Indonesia.
The price offered also varies, depending on the motif and how complicated it is to make. You can find batik fabrics ranging in price from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of rupiah. This is because the process of making batik takes a long time and is complicated. Apart from that, you can also find ready-to-wear batik clothes.
Ria’s photo
Visiting tourist attractions without taking pictures is incomplete. You can take pictures and capture the moment of visiting the Semarang batik village freely because this location is filled with instagrammable places. The walls are even filled with beautiful murals. Residents’ houses are also not spared from the beautiful side of this village. By uploading the photo to social media, you are indirectly helping to preserve Indonesian batik. Not far from this photo spot, there is also a place that shows the condition of the city of Semarang in the past.
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This is an explanation of the history, location, and various activities that you can do at Kampung Batik Semarang. You have helped the process of preserving Batik culture by visiting, buying, and talking about this village on social media. Interested in visiting Batik Village in Semarang?