Riau (Jawi:رياو) is aprovince ofIndonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of the island ofSumatra, and extends from the eastern slopes of theBarisan Mountains to theMalacca Strait, including several large islands situated within the Strait. The province shares land borders withNorth Sumatra to the northwest,West Sumatra to the west, andJambi to the south, and a maritime border with theRiau Islands and the country ofMalaysia to the east. It is the second-largest province in the island ofSumatra afterSouth Sumatra with a total land area of 93,356.32 km², and an estimated population of 7,007,353 in 2024.[1] The province comprises tenregencies and twocities, withPekanbaru serving as thecapital andlargest city.
Although Riau is predominantly considered the land ofMalays, it is a highly diverse province. In addition to Malays constituting one-third of the population, other major ethnic groups includeJavanese,Minangkabau,Batak, andChinese. The local Riau dialect ofMalay language is considered as thelingua franca in the province, butIndonesian, the standardized form of Malay is used as the official language and also as the second language of many people. Other than that, different languages such asMinangkabau,Hokkien and varieties ofBatak languages are also spoken.
Riau is one of the wealthiest provinces in Indonesia and is rich in natural resources, particularly petroleum, natural gas, rubber,palm oil and fibre plantations. Extensive logging and plantation development in has led to a massive decline in forest cover Riau, and associated fires have contributed tohaze across the larger region.[citation needed]
There are three possible origins of the wordriau which became the name of this province. First, from the Portuguese word, "rio" which means river.[7][8] In 1514, there was a Portuguese military expedition that traced theSiak River, in order to find the location of a kingdom they believed existed in the area, and at the same time to pursue followers ofSultan Mahmud Shah who fled after the fall of theMalacca Sultanate.[9]
The second version claims thatriau comes from the wordriahi which means sea water. The word is allegedly derived from the figure ofSinbad al-Bahar in the book of theOne Thousand and One Nights.[8]
Another version is thatriau is derived from theMalay wordriuh, which means "crowded, frenzied working people". This word is believed used to reflect the nature of theMalay people in present-dayBintan. The name is likely to have become famous sinceRaja Kecil moved the Malay kingdom center from Johor to Ulu Riau in 1719.[8] This name was used as one of the four main sultanates that formed the kingdoms of Riau, Lingga, Johor and Pahang. However, as the consequences of theAnglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 between theNetherlands and United Kingdom, the Johor-Pahang sultanates fell under British influence, while the Riau-Lingga sultanates fell under Dutch influence.[10][11]
Riau is thought to have been inhabited since between 40,000 and 10,000 BC, with the discovery of tools from thePleistocene era in the Sengingi River area inKuantan Singingi Regency in August 2009. Stone tools found include: an axle, a drawstring, and shale and core stone axes. The research team also found some wood fossils estimated to be older than the stone tools. It is suspected the tool users werePithecanthropus erectus (reclassified asHomo erectus) similar to those found inSangiran,Central Java. These tools proved the existence of prehistoric settlement in Riau. Earlier settlement was assumed to be possible in the area since the discovery of theMuara Takus Temple inKampar in 1860.[12][13]
The Malay kingdoms in Riau were at first based on theBuddhistSrivijaya Empire. This is evidenced by theMuara Takus Temple which was thought to be the center of the Srivijaya government in Riau. Its architecturally resembles temples that can be found in India. In addition, French historianGeorge Cœdès also discovered the similarity of the Srivijaya governmental structure and the Malay sultanates of the 15th century.[14] The earliest text that deals with theMalay world isSulalatus Salatin (Malay Annals) byTun Sri Lanang, in 1612.[15] According to the annals,Bukit Seguntang in modern-dayPalembang inSouth Sumatra is whereSang Sapurba came to the world and his descendants would scatter throughout the Malay world. His descendants such as Sang Mutiara would become king inTanjungpura andSang Nila Utama would become king inBintan before finally moving toSingapura.[16] Before the arrival of Islam to the archipelago, many parts of the Riau region were under the Srivijaya Empire between the 7th to the 14th century which was greatly influenced by the Hindu-Buddhist tradition.[17] Islam was introduced to the region when theMaharaja of Srivijaya sent a letter to CaliphUmar ibn Abd al-Aziz of theUmayyad Caliphate in Egypt containing a request to send a messenger to introduceIslamic law to him.[18]
In the 12th century, the entry of Islam into the archipelago was carried through theSamudera Pasai Sultanate inAceh which was the first Islamic sultanate in the archipelago.[19] The process of thespread of Islam occurred through trade, marriage and missionary activities of Muslim clerics. These factors led to the spread and growth of Islamic influence throughout the Malay world. The strong acceptance of Islam by Malay people is the aspect of equality, which contrasted thecaste system inHinduism, where lower class caste people were less than members of a higher castes.[20]
According to the journals of the Portuguese explorerTomé Pires between 1513 and 1515, Siak controlled an area that lies betweenArcat andIndragiri. It was a port city under aMinangkabau king,[21] but became a Malacca vassal before being conquered by thePortuguese. Since thefall of Malacca to theDutch East India Company (VOC), theJohor Sultanate claimed Siak as part of its sovereign territory. This continued until the arrival of Sultan Abdul Jalil Rahmat Shah orRaja Kecil who later founded theSiak Sultanate.[22] In theSyair Perang Siak, it is told thatRaja Kecil was asked to become the ruler of Siak for the consensus of the people inBengkalis. This aims to release Siak from the influence of the Johor Sultanate.[23] While according to theHikayat Siak,Raja Kecil was also called the true inheritor of the throne of the Sultan of Johor who lost the power struggle.[24] Based on the correspondence of the Sultan Indermasyah with the Dutch Governor-General in Malacca at that time, it was mentioned that Sultan Abdul Jalil was his brother who was sent for business affairs with the VOC.[25] Sultan Abdul Jalil then wrote a letter addressed to the Dutch, calling himself theRaja Kecil ofPagaruyung, that he would take revenge for the death of theSultan of Johor.[26]
In 1718,Raja Kecil succeeded in conquering the Johor Sultanate, at the same time crowning himself as the Sultan of Johor with the titleYang Dipertuan Besar Johor.[22] But in 1722, a rebellion led by Raja Sulaiman, the son of the former SultanAbdul Jalil Shah IV, demanded the right to the throne of Johor. With the help ofBugis mercenaries, Raja Sulaiman then succeeded in seizing the throne of Johor, and established himself as the ruler of Johor inPeninsular Malaysia, crowning himself as SultanSulaiman Badrul Alam Shah of Johor, whileRaja Kecil moved toBintan and in 1723 established a new government center on the bank of theSiak River with the nameSiak Sri Inderapura.[23] While the center of the Johor government which had been around the estuary of theJohor River was abandoned. Whereas the claim ofRaja Kecil as the legitimate heir to the throne of Johor, was recognized by theOrang Laut community. The Orang Laut is a Malay sub-group that resides in theRiau Islands region that stretches from east Sumatra to theSouth China Sea, and this loyalty continued until the collapse of the Siak Sultanate.[27]
By the late 18th century, the Siak Sultanate had become the dominant power on the eastern coast of Sumatra. In 1780, the Siak Sultanate conquered theSultanate of Langkat, and made the area its protectorate, alongside theDeli andSerdang Sultanates.[28][29] Under the ties of a cooperation agreement with the VOC, in 1784 the Siak Sultanate helped the VOC attack and subdue theSelangor Sultanate.[30] Previously they had collaborated to quell theRaja Haji Fisabilillah rebellion onPenyengat Island.
The Siak Sultanate took advantage of the trade supervision through theStraits of Malacca, as well as the ability to controlpirates in the region. The progress of Siak's economy can be seen from the Dutch records which stated that in 1783 there were around 171 merchant ships making a voyage from Siak to Malacca.[31][32] Siak is a trading triangle between the Netherlands in Malacca and the United Kingdom onPenang.[33] But on the other hand, the glory of Siak caused jealousy of the descendants ofYang Dipertuan Muda, especially after the loss of their power in the Riau Islands. The attitude of dislike and hostility towards the Sultan of Siak was, seen in theTuhfat al-Nafis, where in the description of the story they describe the Sultan of Siak as "a person who is greedy for the wealth of the world".[34]
The dominance of the Siak Sultanate towards the eastern coast of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula was quite significant. They were able to replace the influence of Johor before on the control of the trade route in the Strait of Malacca. In addition, the Siak Sultanate also emerged as a key holder of theMinangkabau highland, through three main rivers, ofSiak,Kampar, andKuantan, which had previously been the key to the glory of Malacca. However, the progress of Siak's economy faded caused by the turmoil in the Minangkabau interior known as thePadri War.[35]
The expansion ofDutch colonialization into the eastern part of Sumatra caused the influence of the Siak Sultanate to wane, leading to the independence of the Deli Sultanate, theAsahan Sultanate, the Langkat Sultanate, and the Inderagiri Sultanate.[36] Likewise inJohor, where a sultan of the descendants of Tumenggung Johor was crowned, under British protection in Singapore.[37][38] While the Dutch restored the position of theYang Dipertuan Muda onPenyengat Island, and later established theRiau-Lingga Sultanate onLingga Island. In addition, theNetherlands also reduced the territory of Siak, by establishing the Residency of Riouw (Dutch:Residentie Riouw) which was part of theDutch East Indies government based inTanjung Pinang.[39][40][41]
British control of the Straits of Malacca, prompted the Sultan of Siak in 1840 to accept the offer of a new treaty to replace the agreement they had made earlier in 1819. This agreement made the Siak Sultanate area smaller and sandwiched it between other small kingdoms which were protected by Britain.[42] Likewise, the Dutch made the sultanate a protectorate of the Dutch East Indies,[43] after forcing the Sultan of Siak to sign an agreement on 1 February 1858.[35][44] From the agreement, the sultanate lost its sovereignty, then in the appointment of a new sultan, the sultanate must get approval from the Netherlands. Furthermore, under regional supervision, the Dutch established a military post inBengkalis and banned the Sultan of Siak from making agreements with foreign parties without the approval of the Dutch East Indies government.[35]
SultanSyarif Kasim II was the last sultan of the Siak Sultanate before being abolished. After Indonesia proclaimed independence, he ceded Siak Sultanate to be part of a united Indonesia.
Changes in the political map over the control of the Malacca Strait, the internal disputes of Siak and competition with Britain and the Netherlands, weakened the influence of the Siak Sultanate over the territories it had once conquered.[45] A tug of war between the interests of foreign forces caused the signing of theAnglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870–71 between the British and the Dutch, put Siak in a weak bargaining position.[46] Then based on the agreement on 26 July 1873, the Dutch East Indies government forced the Sultan of Siak to hand over theBengkalis area to the Riouw Residency.[47] But in the midst of this pressure, the Siak Sultanate still remained until Indonesia's independence, even though during the Japanese occupation most of the military power of the Siak Sultanate was no longer significant.[48]
At about the same time, the Indragiri Sultanate also began to be influenced by the Dutch, but only came under the control ofBatavia in 1938. Dutch control of Siak later became the beginning of the outbreak of theAceh War.
On the coast, the Dutch moved quickly to abolish the sultanates that did not submit to the government in Batavia. The Dutch appointed a resident in Tanjung Pinang to supervise coastal areas, and the Dutch succeeded in toppling theSultan of Riau-Lingga, Sultan Abdul Rahman Muazzam Syah in February 1911.[49]
During theJapanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Riau was one of the primary strategic targets. TheJapanese army occupiedRengat on 31 March 1942.[50] All of Riau was quickly occupied by the Japanese. A relic of the Japanese occupation is the 220 km railway line that connectsMuaro Sijunjung inWest Sumatra andPekanbaru, also known as thePekanbaru Death Railway which is now abandoned. Hundreds of thousands of Riau people were forced to work by the Japanese to complete the project.[51][52][53] Japan led the construction of the railroad using forced labor and prisoners of war. The construction took 15 months through mountains, swamps and fast-flowing rivers.[54] As many as 6,500 Dutch (mostlyIndo-Europeans) and British prisoners of wars and more than 100,000romusha Indonesians (mostlyJavanese) were mobilized by the Japanese military. When the project was completed in August 1945, almost one third of European prisoners of war and more than half of Indonesian workers died. The railroad was intended as a medium for transporting coal and soldiers from Pekanbaru toMuaro Sijunjung on the west of Sumatra. Construction of the railroad was completed on 15 August 1945, before theJapanese surrendered. The railroad was used only once to transport prisoners of war out of the area. The line was then abandoned.[55]
At the beginning ofIndonesia's independence, the former Riau Residency was merged and incorporated into the Sumatra Province based inBukittinggi. Along with the crackdown onPRRI sympathizers, Sumatra was divided into three provinces,North Sumatra,Central Sumatra, andSouth Sumatra. Central Sumatra became a stronghold of the PRRI, this caused the central government to breakup Central Sumatra in order to weaken the PRRI movement,[56] in 1957, based on Emergency Law Number 19 of 1957,[57] Central Sumatra was divided into three provinces, Riau,Jambi andWest Sumatra. The newly formed Riau province was composed of the former territory of the Siak Sri Sultanate of Inderapura and the Riau Residency as well as the Kampar.
As Riau was one of the areas influenced by theRevolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia, the central government conducted Operation Tegas to quell the rebellion, under the leadership ofKaharuddin Nasution, who later became governor of the province, succeeded in quelling the remnants of PRRI sympathizers.[58]
Afterwards, the central government began to consider moving the provincial capital fromTanjung Pinang toPekanbaru, which is more centrally located. The government established Pekanbaru as the new provincial capital on 20 January 1959 through Kepmendagri No. December 52 / I / 44–25.[59]
After thefall of the Old Order, Riau became one of the pillars of theNew Order's economic development.[60] In 1944, geologist Richard H. Hopper, Toru Oki and their team discovered the largest oil well in Southeast Asia, in Minas,Siak. This well was originally named Minas No. 1. Minas is famous for its Sumatra Light Crude (SLC) oil which is good quality as it has low sulfur content.[61] In the early 1950s, new oil wells were found in Minas, Duri, Bengkalis, Pantaicermin, and Petapahan. Petroleum extraction in Riau began in the Siak Block in September 1963, with the signing of a work contract with PT California Texas Indonesia (nowChevron Pacific Indonesia).[62] This province contributed 70% of Indonesia's oil production in the 1970s.[63]
Riau was also the main destination for thetransmigration program launched by the Suharto administration. Many families from Java moved to the newly opened oil palm plantations in Riau, forming a separate community.[64]
In 1999,Saleh Djasit was elected as the second native Riaunese (besidesArifin Achmad) and first elected by the Provincial House of Representatives as governor. His administration saw the separation of theRiau Archipelago to becomeRiau Islands Province in 2002, leaving Riau with just the mainland territories. In 2003, former Regent ofIndragiri Hilir,Rusli Zainal, was elected governor, and was re-elected through direct elections by the people in 2008. Starting on 19 February 2014, Riau Province was officially led by the governor,Annas Maamun, leading for 7 months, Annas Maamun was removed after he was arrested by theCorruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a case of land use change inKuantan Singingi Regency.
Geographically, Riau is located at position 02 ° 25 'LU-01 ° 15 ° LS and 100 ° 03'-104 ° 00' BT. The area is quite extensive and is located in the central part ofSumatra. Riau is directly adjacent toNorth Sumatra and theStraits of Malacca in the north,Jambi to the south,West Sumatra to the west and theRiau Islands in the east. The province shares maritime borders with Singapore andMalaysia.
In general, the geography of Riau consists of mountains, lowlands, and islands. The mountain area lies in the western part, namely theBukit Barisan Mountains, near the border of West Sumatra. The elevation decreases towards the east, making most of the central and eastern part of the province covered with lowlands. Off the eastern coast lies theStrait of Malacca where several island lies.
In general, Riau Province has a wet tropical climate that is influenced by two seasons, namely the rainy and dry seasons. The average rainfall received by Riau Province is between 2,000 – 3,000 mm / year with an average annual rainfall of 160 days. The areas that received the most rain wereRokan Hulu Regency andPekanbaru City. Meanwhile, the area that received the least rainfall wasSiak Regency.
The average air temperature of Riau is 25.9 °C with maximum temperatures reaching 34.4 °C and minimum temperatures reach 20.1 °C. The highest temperature occurs in urban areas on the coast. On the contrary, the lowest temperature covers the high mountains and mountains. Air humidity can reach an average of 75%. Slightly different for the island region in the eastern region is also influenced by the characteristics of the sea climate.
As in most other province of Indonesia, Riau has atropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classificationAf) bordering on a tropical monsoon climate. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the prevailing wind system. It has high average temperature and high average rainfall.
Forest cover in Riau has declined from 78% in 1982 to only 33% in 2005.[67] This has been further reduced an average of 160,000 hectares on average per year, leaving 22%, or 2.45 million hectares left as of 2009.[68] Fires associated with deforestation have contributed to serious haze over the province and cities to the East, such as Singapore andKuala Lumpur,Malaysia[69][70][71]
Giam Siak Kecil –Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve, Indonesia, is a peatland area in Sumatra featuring sustainable timber production and two wildlife reserves, which are home to theSumatran tiger,Sumatran elephant,Malayan tapir, andMalayan sun bear. Research activities in the biosphere include the monitoring of flagship species and in-depth study on peatland ecology. Initial studies indicate a real potential for sustainable economic development using native flora and fauna for the economic benefit of local inhabitants.
Cagar Biosfer Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu (CB-GSK-BB) is one of seven Biosphere Reserves in Indonesia. They are located in two areas of Riau Province,Bengkalis andSiak. CB-GSK-BB is a trial presented by Riau at the 21st Session of the International Coordinating Council of Man and the Biosphere (UNESCO) inJeju, South Korea, on 26 May 2009. CB-GSK-BB is one of 22 proposed locations in 17 countries accepted as reserves for the year. A Biosphere Reserve is the only internationally recognised concept of environmental conservation and cultivation. Thus the supervision and development of CB-GSK-BB is a worldwide concern at a regional level.
CB-GSK-BB is a unique type of Peat Swamp Forest in theKampar Peninsula Peat Forest (with a small area of swamp). Another peculiarity is that the CB-GSK-BB was initiated by private parties in co-operation with the government through BBKSDA (The Center for the Conservation of Natural Resources), including the notorious conglomerate involved in forest destruction,Sinar Mas Group, owning the largest paper and pulp company in Indonesia.
The Province of Riau is led by a governor who is elected directly with his representative for a 5-year term. In addition to being a regional government, the Governor also acts as a representative or extension of the central government in the province, whose authority is regulated in Law No. 32 of 2004 and Government Regulation number 19 of 2010.
While the relationship between the provincial government and the regency and city governments is not a sub-ordinate, each of these regional governments governs and manages government affairs according to the principle of autonomy and co-administration.
When the province of Riau was created on 10 August 1957 from the splitting of the former province ofCentral Sumatra, it consisted of four regencies -Bengkalis,Bintan (covering the offshore archipelagoes now comprising the Riau Islands Province),Indragiri andKampar - together with the independent city ofPekanbaru. On 14 June 1965 the Indragiri Regency was divided into anIndragiri Hilir Regency and anIndragiri Hulu Regency. On 4 October 1999 four of these regencies were divided up in a wholesale reorganisation: Bengkalis Regency was split up intoRokan Hilir Regency,Siak Regency and a new city ofDumai, as well as a smaller Bengkalis Regency; a newKuantan Singingi Regency was cut out of the Indragiri Hulu Regency, whileRokan Hulu Regency andPelalawan Regency were cut out of Kampar Regency. Finally, on the same date, the Bintan Regency was split, with a new city ofBatam and new regencies ofKarimun andNatuna being split off; a further city ofTanjung Pinang was cut out of the residual part of Bintan Regency on 21 June 2001; however on 24 September 2002 the five Riau Islands administrations were split off from Riau Province to form a separate Riau Islands Province. Subsequently on 19 December 2008 a newMeranti Islands Regency was cut off the remaining Bengkalis Regency.
Riau Province is thus subdivided into tenregencies (kabupaten) and two autonomouscities (kota), listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010[72] and 2020[73] Censuses, and according to the official estimates as at mid 2024.[1]
The province comprises two of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to thePeople's Representative Council. TheRiau I Electoral District consists of 5 of the regencies in the province (Siak, Bengkalis, Meranti Islands, Rokan Hilir and Rokan Hulu), together with the cities of Pekanbaru and Dumai, and elects 7 members to the People's Representative Council. TheRiau II Electoral District consists of the remaining 5 regencies (Kuantan Singingi, Indragiri Hulu, Indragiri Hilir, Pelalawan and Kampar), and elects 6 members to the People's Representative Council.[76]
The total population of Riau spread over ten regencies and two cities as at mid 2024 reached 7,007,353 people.[1] Based on the population per regency/city in 2022, the largest population was inPekanbaru City with 506,231 male population and 501,309 female, while the smallest population was in theKepulauan Meranti Regency where about 110,100 people were male and 103,400 were female. Overall males constituted 51.13% of the population and females 48.87% in 2023.[77]
A traditional Malay wedding replica in Museum Sang Nila Utama, Pekanbaru.Malays form the largest ethnic group in the province, with 45% of the population in 2010.
There is also a sizable population ofMinangkabau people living in Riau Province, mostly in the areas borderingWest Sumatra, such asRokan Hulu,Kampar,Kuantan Singingi, and part ofInderagiri Hulu.Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau Province, has a Minangkabau majority, since it was once one of the Minangkabaurantau (migration) area. Many Minangkabau in Pekanbaru have lived there for generations and has since assimilated into the Malay community.[78] Most Minangkabau in Riau generally work as merchants and live in urban areas such as Pekanbaru,Bangkinang, Duri, andDumai.
There are many other ethnic groups migrating from other provinces of Indonesia, such as theBatak Mandailing people who mostly lives in areas borderingNorth Sumatra, such asRokan Hulu.[79] Most of the Mandailing people now identify themselves asMalay rather than asMinangkabau orBatak. In the 19th century, theBanjarese ofSouth Kalimantan and theBugis ofSouth Sulawesi also began arriving in Riau to seek better lives. Most of them settled in theIndragiri Hilir areas, especially aroundTembilahan.[80][81] The opening of Caltex oil mining company in the 1940s inRumbai, encouraged people from throughout the country to migrate to Riau.
There are sizeableJavanese andSundanese population in Riau Province. Javanese forms the second-largest ethnic group in the province, forming 25.05% of the total population. Most of them migrated to Riau due to thetransmigration program dating from theDutch East Indies and continued during theSoeharto administration. The majority of them lives in transmigration communities spread throughout the region.
Likewise, theChinese people are generally similar to theMinangkabau as many of them also work as merchants. Many Riau Chinese lives in the capitalPekanbaru, and many can also found in coastal areas in the east, such asBagansiapiapi,Selatpanjang,Rupat, andBengkalis. Most of the Chinese people in Riau areHoklo people, whose ancestors migrated fromQuanzhou in modern-dayFujian from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century. Some of the Riau Chinese has migrated to other parts of Indonesia, such asMedan andJakarta, to seek better life opportunities, while some have also migrated to other countries such as Singapore andTaiwan.[82]
There are also some groups of indigenous people who live in rural areas and riverbanks, such as theOrang Sakai, Petalangan, Bonai, Akit, Talang Mamak,Anak Rawa,Orang Duano, andOrang Laut. Some of them still leading thenomadic andHunter-gatherer lifestyle in the remote interior of Riau, while most settled into major cities and towns in with the rise of industrialisation.[83]
Riau Malay can be divided into two sub-dialects, namely the inland dialect and the coastal dialect.[89] The inland dialect has phonological features that are similar toMinangkabau, while coastal dialect has phonological features that are close to Malay in the regions ofSelangor, Johor andKuala Lumpur inMalaysia (because other Malaysian regions have very different dialects).[89] In addition to various other characteristics, the two subdialects are marked with words which inIndonesian are words that end with vowels /a/; the inland dialect is pronounced with vowel /o/, while in coastal dialect is pronounced with the weak vowel /e/ . Some examples include: /bila/, /tiga/ and /kata/ in Indonesian (if, three and word in English respectively) will be pronounced in inland dialect as /bilo/, /tigo/ and /kato/ respectively. While in the coastal dialect it will be pronounced as /bile/, /tige/ and /kate/ respectively.[89]
TheMinangkabau language is widely used by theMinangkabau people in Riau, especially in the areas borderingWest Sumatra, such asKampar,Kuantan Singingi, andRokan Hulu, which are culturally allied to Minang as well as migrants from West Sumatra.[90] It is also currently being thelingua franca ofPekanbaru, the capital city in addition to Indonesian. The pronunciation of Riau Minangkabau is similar to thePayakumbuh–Batusangkar dialect, even differs from that of other dialects varieties of West Sumatra. Historically, Minangkabau language used in thePagaruyung highlands is now spoken in the lowerSiak River basin following the waves of migration fromWest Sumatra.
Based on the composition of the population of Riau which is full of diversity with different socio-cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds, it is basically an asset for the Riau region itself. The religions embraced by the inhabitants of this province are very diverse, includingIslam,Protestantism,Catholicism,Hinduism,Buddhism, andConfucianism.
As of 2015,Islam is the dominant religion in the province, forming 86.87% of the total population.Islam is generally adhered by the ethnicMalays,Javanese,Minangkabau,Banjars,Bugis,Sundanese and someBatak sub-group.Protestantism forms the second-largest religion, forming as many as 9.74%, while Catholics forms as many as 1.02%, Most of the people who adhered toProtestantism andCatholicism are fromBatak ethnic groups (specificallyBatak Toba,Karo andSimalungun),Nias,Chinese and residents fromEastern Indonesia. Then there is Buddhism which forms around 2.28% of the total population and Confucianism which forms around 0.07% of the total population. Most of the Buddhist and Confucianism are of ethnic Chinese origin. Lastly, about 0.01% of the total population embrace Hinduism, mostly areBalinese andIndonesians of Indian descent.
As Riau is the homeland of theMalays, the customs and cultures of Riau is mostly based on Malay customs and cultures.
Every Malay family lives in their own house, except for new couples who usually prefer to stay at the wife's house until they have their first child. Therefore, their sedentary patterns can be said to be neat. The nuclear family they called genitals generally built a house in the neighborhood where the wife lived. The principle of lineage or kinship is more likely to be parental or bilateral.
Kinship is done with a typical local nicknames. The first child is calledlong orsulung, the second child isngah/ongah, below him is calledcik, the youngest is calledcu/ucu. Usually the nickname is added by mentioning the physical characteristics of the person, for example, if the person is dark-skinned and is acik or a third child, he will be calledcik itam. Another example is when the particular person is a first-born and has a short characteristic. he/she will be calledngah undah. But sometimes when greeting people who are unknown or new to them, they can simply greet them withabang,akak,dek, ornak.[92]
In the past, Malays also lived in groups according to their ancestral origin, which they called tribes. This group of descendants uses apatrilineal kinship line. But the Riau Malays who lived on the mainlandSumatra partially embracedmatrilineal tribalism. There are also those who referthe tribe as ahinduk or acikal bakal. Each tribe is led by a leader. If the tribe lives in a village, then the head will be referred to asDatuk Penghulu Kampung orKepala Kampung.[93] Each leader is also assisted by several figures such asbatin,jenang,tua-tua danmonti. Religious field leaders in the village are known asimam dan khotib.
Typical dress of a Riau Malay couple while enjoying the traditionalGambus.
In Malay culture, clothes and textiles are very important and it signify beauty and power. TheHikayat-Hikayat Melayu mentioned the importance of textile in Malay culture.[94] The history of the Malay woven industry can be traced back to the 13th century when trade routes in the East are rapidly expanding under the role of theSong dynasty. The description of locally made textiles and the development of the embroidery industry in theMalay Peninsula is expressed in several Chinese and Indian records.[94] Among the famous Malay textiles that still exist today areSongket andBatik.
The earliest Malay traditional dress was concise, the woman wearing asarong that covered the lower body to the chest while the man dressed in short, sleeveless or shorts, with shorts down to the knee level. However, when trade with the outside world flourishes, the way in which the Malay dress begins to gain external influence and becomes more sophisticated. The 15th-century is the peak of the power of theMalacca Sultanate. As told in theMalay Annals, this is where traditionalBaju Melayu clothing is created. The strong Islamic influence has transformed the way of dressing the Malays later on features that are matching with Islamic laws. The classic Malay general attire for men consists of shirts, small sacks,sarongs worn at the waist, and atanjak ortengkolok worn on the head. It is common for a Malay warrior to have akeris tucked into the front fold of sarong. The Malay version of the early women's clothing is also more loose and long. However, it was subsequently renewed and popularized bySultan Abu Bakar of Johor in the late 19th century, into the form ofBaju Kurung used today.
However, Riau also has some traditional dress that cannot be found in other parts of the Malay world. The Riau traditional dress is not only used for certain occasions. But some of these traditional clothes are functioned as everyday clothes, one of which is daily clothing for children. The children's daily wear used is divided into two types, namely clothes for boys and clothes for girls. For boys' clothes in the customs of the Riau people, they are calledbaju monyet (Monkey clothes). This outfit is combined with the type of trousers that are responsible, and complete with akopiah or rectangular shaped cloth as a head covering. While for everyday clothes for girls isBaju Kurung with floral motifs. This outfit is combined with a wide skirt with ahijab ortudong. The daily clothes of Riau people are commonly used for reciting or for studying.
For the people of Riau who are adults, they wear distinctive clothing and are also very close to religious and cultural values. For males, they use clothing calledBaju Kurung Cekak Musang. Namely, clothes like Muslim clothing are combined with loose trousers. This shirt is used together withsarong andkopiah.
For Malay women, they can wear 3 different types of clothing, namely theBajuKebaya Pendek,Baju Kurung Laboh, andBaju Kurung Tulang Belut. The different clothes are used in conjunction with a shawl cloth that is used as a head covering. In addition, women's clothing can also be combined with ahijab ortudong.
In traditional Malay societies, the house is an intimate building that can be used as a family dwelling, a place of worship, a heritage site, and a shelter for anyone in need. Therefore, traditional Malay houses are generally large. In addition to the large size, the Malay house is also always in the form of arumah panggung or stage house, facing the sunrise. The types of Malay houses include residential houses, offices, place of worship and warehouses. The naming of the houses is tailored to the function of each building. In general, there are five types of Riau Malay traditional houses, namely theBalai Salaso Jatuh, Rumah Melayu Atap Lontik, Rumah Adat Salaso Jatuh Kembar, Rumah Melayu Lipat Kajang andRumah Melayu Atap Limas Potong.
TheBalai Salaso Jatuh is usually used for consensus decision-making and other activities. It is rarely used for private homes. In accordance with the functions of theBalai Salaso Jatuh, this building has other local names such asbalai panobatan,balirung sari,balai karapatan, etc. Presently, the function of this building has been replaced by a house or a mosque. The building has an alignment, and has a lower floor than the middle room. In addition,Balai Salaso Jatuh is also decorated with various carvings in the form of plants or animals. Each carving in this building has its own designation.
Lontiok House in Kampar
Rumah Melayu Atap Lontik orLontiok House can usually be found inKampar Regency.[95] It is called so because this house has a decoration on the front wall of the house in the form of a boat.[95] When viewed from a distance, this house will look like boat houses that are usually made by the local residents. Besides being referred to aslancing andpancalang, this traditional house is also calledlontik, since this house has a roof paring that is soaring upwards. This house is heavily influenced on the architecture of theMinangkabauRumah Gadang, sinceKampar Regency is directly adjacent to the province ofWest Sumatra. A unique feature of this traditional house is that it has five stairsteps. The reason they chose the number five was because this is based on theFive Pillars of Islam.[96] The shape of the pillars in this house also varies, there are rectangles, hexagons, heptagon, octagon and triangles. Each type of pole contained in this traditional house has meaning believed by the people of Riau. A rectangular pole can be interpreted as four corners of the wind, just like an octagon, and the hexagon symbolizes the number of pillars of Islam.
Rumah Salaso Jatuh Kembar was declared an icon and symbol of the province of Riau. The architecture of this house is similar to theBalai Salaso Jatuh, but this house tends to be used for private homes.
Rumah Melayu Lipat Kajang can usually found in theRiau Islands and the coastal part of Riau. It is calledLipat Kajangbecause the roof of this house has a shape resembling the shape of a boat. The top of this building is curved upwards and is often referred tolipat kejang orpohon jeramban by the locals. This traditional house is rarely or even no longer used by Riau residents. One reason for the loss of this culture is because of the increasing influence of western architecture, and people consider their building forms to be simpler and easier to build.[97]
Rumah Melayu Atap Limas Potong is a Malay traditional house that can usually be found in mainland Riau, but rarely in the Riau Islands. This house has a roof that is shaped like a cut pyramid. Like other Riau traditional houses, this house is also included in therumah panggung group. The stage of this house has a height of about 1.5 meters above the ground. The size of the house depends on the ability and desires of the owner.[98]
Most of Riau traditional dances are influenced by Malay cultures, but there are also some dances that are only unique to Riau.
Mak Yong is a traditional theater art of Malay society that is often performed as a drama in an international forum. In the past,mak yong was held by villagers in the rice fields which had finished harvesting rice. Themak yong is performed by a group of professional dancers and musicians who combine
various elements of religious ceremonies, plays, dance, music with vocal or instrumental, and simple texts. The male and female main characters were both performed by female dancers. Other figures that appear in the story are comedians, gods, jinn, courtiers, and animals.mak yong performance is accompanied by musical instruments such asrebab,gendang, and tetawak InIndonesia, themak yong was developed inLingga, which was once the center of theJohor-Riau Sultanate. The difference with themak yong performed in theKelantan-Pattani region is that they usually does not use masks, asmak yong in Riau uses masks for some of the King's female characters, princesses, criminals, demons, and spirits. At the end of the last century,mak yong not only became a daily show, but also as performance for the sultan.[99]
Thetarizapin is a Malay traditional dance originated from theSiak Regency that is entertaining and are full of religious and educational messages. Thistari zapin has rules and regulations that cannot be changed.Tari zapin is usually accompanied by traditional Riau musical instruments namelymarwas andgambus. Thistari zapin shows footwork quickly following the pounding of punches on a small drum calledmarwas . The rhythmic harmony of the instrument is increasingly melodious with stringed instruments. Because of the influence of the Arabs, this dance does indeed feel educative without losing the entertainment side. There is an insert of a religious message in the song lyrics. Usually the dance is told about the daily lives of Malay people. Initially,tari zapin was only danced by male dancers but along with developments, female dancers were also shown. Sometimes, there are both male and female dancers performing. There is a form oftari zapin performed inPulau Rupat Utara inBengkalis calledtarizapin api. The identifying characteristic oftarizapin api is the incorporation of fire and strong focus on themystical elements. The dance form was historically dormant and extinct for nearly 40 years before its revival in 2013.[100]
Riau dancers performing thetari persembahan during a welcoming ceremony
Tarian makan sirih is accompanied by distinctive Malay music accompanied by a song titledMakan Sirih. As for the costumes performed by dancers, they usually wore traditional Malay attire, such as pants, clothes, andkopiah for men. Whereas the female dancers wear the clothes that are usually worn by the bride, namely traditional clothes called theBaju Kurung teluk belanga. At the head, there is a crown equipped with flower-shaped decorations. Meanwhile, the lower part of the dancers' bodies was wrapped in brightly colouredsongket cloth.Tarian makan sirih is performed by both men and women. The dancers are obliged to understand special terms in Malay dance, such asigal (emphasizing hand and body movements),liuk (movement of bowing or swinging body),lenggang (walking while moving hands),titi batang (walking in a line as if climbing the stem),gentam (dancing while stomping on the feet),cicing (dancing while jogging),legar (dancing while walking around 180 degrees), and so on. During the performance, one of the dancers in the offering dance will bring a box containingbetels. The box would then be opened and the guests who are considered the greatest are given the first opportunity to take it as a form of respect, then followed by other guests. Therefore, many people call this dance as tarian makan sirih.[101]
The traditional Malayaccordion is almost the same as the accordion founded byChristian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann from (Germany). accordion includes a musical instrument that is quite difficult to play even though it looks easy. accordion produces diatonic scales that are very in accordance with the song lyrics in the form of rhymes. The accordion player holds the instrument with both hands, then plays the chord buttons with the fingers of the left hand, while the fingers of the right hand play the melody of the song that is being performed. Usually players who have been trained are very easy to change hands. When played, the accordion is pulled and pushed to adjust the air movement inside the instrument, the movement of the air coming out (to the tongue of the accordion) will produce sound. The sound can be adjusted using the player's fingers.
Gambus is a type of traditional Riau musical instrument that is played by picking. Formerly,Gambus was used for events related to spiritual matters. At this timeGambus switched functions to be an accompaniment for thetari zapin.Gambus Riau is played by individuals as entertainment for fishermen on boats who are looking for fish.
Kompang is a type of traditional Riau musical instrument that is quite well known amongMalays,Kompang is included in the group of traditional musical instruments which are played by being beaten. In general,kompang uses materials derived from the skin of livestock. Makingkompang is more similar to makingdhol or other musical instrument or other leather drum that uses animal skin such as buffalo, cattle, and others.Kompang a uses female goat ski on the part that is hit, but now uses a cow which is believed to be more elastic. To produce a loud sound, there is a technique to make the paired skin become very tight and not easily separated from the nail (which can be dangerous when played).
Rebana ubi is a type ofTambourine that is played by being hit by hand.Rebana ubi is included in the drum group as well as percussion instruments.Rebana ubi has a larger size than ordinary tambourines becauseRebana ubi has the smallest diameter of 70 cm and a height of 1 meter.Rebana ubi can be hung horizontally or left on the floor to be played. In ancient times,Rebana ubiwas believed to be a tool to spread the news such as the wedding ceremony of local residents or the danger that came (such as strong winds).Rebana ubi is placed in the highlands and beaten with a certain rhythm depending on the information the player wants to convey.
Klewang is a traditional weapon from Riau.klewang is a kind of machete with the tip of an enlarged blade. In the past,klewang was used by royal soldiers when in war. However, in the present, it is more widely used by farmers in their activities in rice fields or as agricultural tools. Because of this function,klewang has remained sustainable compared to other types of traditional Riau weapons.
Beladau is a skewer type weapon found in the culture of Riau society. This weapon is a sharp dagger on one side. what makes thisbeladau different from the dagger in general is thatbeladau tends to have curvature at the base of the handle, so the handle is easier to hold and push when used. In accordance with its length of only 24 cm, this traditional Riau weapon is often used as a means of self-protection from melee attacks.
Pedang jenawi is a weapon that was often used by Malay royal warlords when facing their enemies. Its size is quite long, which is about 1 meter making it used in close-range warfare. At a glance,pedang jenawi looks like a typical Japanesekatana. Therefore, many historians and cultural experts argue that this weapon originated from ancient Japanese culture which experienced acculturation with Malay culture. Apart from these opinions, what is clear at this time is thatpedang jenawi has been regarded as the identity of the Riau Malay community.
Kris is a heritage weapon that has been used for centuries. Not only in Riau, keris is generally used by nobles in Southeast Asia.Kris is a symbol of honor and self-defense. This weapon is used to stab at close range. The position of thekris in history as a symbol of honor is undeniable, that in the kingdom it was clearly seen as a form of self-protection, as well as pride. Even in modern history, the function continues to develop as an object of history, and can also be a determinant of history based on the period of manufacture and the type of material used. Up to now in Riau Malay customs and culture, always cooperating with kris in every dress as a complementary weapon from generation to generation. However, what is different in the form ofkris from adat inJava is, if the use ofkris in Java is tucked in the back of the waist, in Riau and the Malay people, in general, the use ofkris is in front.
Timber industry in Riau has begun to grow since the colonial era
The economy of Riau expands faster (8.66% in 2006) than the Indonesian average (6.04% in 2006), and is largely a resource-based economy, including crude oil (600,000 bpd),palm oil,rubber trees and otherforest products. Local government income benefits from a greater share of tax revenue (mainly from crude oil) due to the decentralisation law of 2004.[103] The province has natural resources, both riches contained in the bowels of the earth, in the form of oil and gas, as well as gold, as well as forest products and plantations. Along with the implementation of regional autonomy, gradually began to apply the system for results or financial balance between central and local. The new rules provide expressly limits the obligations of investors, resource utilization, and revenue-sharing with the surrounding environment.
Riau's economy in the first quarter of 2017 grew by 2.82 per cent, improving compared to the same period in the previous year which grew 2.74 per cent (year-over-year). This growth was supported by growth in almost all businesses, except mining andexcavation which contracted 6.72 per cent. The highest growth occurred in the Corporate Services Business Field at 9.56 per cent, followed by the processing Industry of 7.30 per cent, and government administration, defense and obligatory social security of 6.97 per cent. Riau's economy in the first quarter of 2017 contracted by 4.88 per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. This contraction was influenced by seasonal factors in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Business Field (−5.04 per cent). In addition, contractions occur due to a decrease in several business fields, including: Mining and Excavation (−3.50 per cent); Processing Industry (−5.41 per cent); Large Trade and Retail, Car and Motorcycle Repair (−2.46 per cent); and Construction (−8.94 per cent).[104]
Port of Dumai, the city is an important transport and trade centre, both regionally and internationally, especially toMalaysia. Dumai is rich in oil (petroleum andpalm oil).[105]
The energy and mineral resources sector is one sector that plays a major role in the development of the province. The leading commodities in the energy and mineral resources sector in Riau include electricity and mining.[106]
Electricity is an important commodity for human life at this time. Without electricity, almost certainly many construction sectors will be paralyzed. Most of the electricity in Riau Province is still supplied by thePerusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).
From 2013 to 2015, the electricity capacity produced was 114 Kva/Kwh in hydropower, 94.6 Kva/Kwh in diesel power and 131.2 Kva/Kwh in the gas power. The amount of this electricity capacity does not increase or shrink as well as the number of power generating units. Throughout Riau Province there are 1 unit of hydroelectric power plants, 65 units of diesel power plants and 6 units of gas power plants.[106]
The agricultural sector is also one of the factors that play a role in the economic development of Riau. The main commodities of agriculture are rice,corn andsoybeans. In addition, other agricultural products which are commodities of Riau Province are peanuts,green beans,cassava andsweet potatoes. In 2015, rice production in Riau reached 393,917 tons of milled dry grain. The production was calculated to increase by 2.2 per cent compared to production in 2014. The increase in production was influenced by the increase in the harvested area of 107,546 hectares which increased by around 1,509 hectares (1.42%) compared to the previous year. In addition, rice productivity also increased by around 0.26 quintal / hectare or around 0.71%.[106]
While the increase occurred incorn production, which amounted to 30,870 tons of dry shelled rice, this production increased by around 7.75 per cent or 2,219 tons of dry shelled rice. This increase can be affected because of an increase in the area of maize production by 368 hectares (3.1%) compared to the production area in 2014 of 12,057 hectares. The increase also occurred in corn productivity in 2015 amounting to 1.09 quintal / hectare from 2014 or around 4.59%.[106]
Soybean production also decreased in 2015 by 187 tons ofdry beans (8.02%) fromsoybean production in 2014. The decrease in production was influenced by the harvested area of 1,516 hectares which decreased by around 514 hectares (25.32%). However, soybean productivity increased by 2.66 quintal / hectare or 23.15% compared to the previous year.
In 2015, peanut production was lower than in previous years. This production fell by 8.39 per cent compared to 2014 and 16.65 per cent compared to 2013. The decline in production was influenced by the declining area of peanut farming compared to 2013 and 2014, each of 18.41 per cent and 9.23 per cent .[106]
In 2015,green beans production was lower than in previous years. This production fell by 7.28 per cent compared to 2014 and 3.39 per cent compared to 2013. The decline in production was influenced by the decline in the area of green beans compared to 2013 and 2014, respectively 1.53 per cent and 3.67 per cent.[106]
In addition,cassava production also experienced a decline in 2015 of 11.89 per cent compared to 2014. Actually, cassava production had increased in 2014 by 14.08 per cent. This decrease in production was also influenced by the decline in cassava farming area by 11.61 compared to 2014.
In the last three years,sweet potato production in 2015 was the lowest. This yield fell by 5.36 per cent in 2014 and again fell by 18.05 per cent. As before, the decline in production was also influenced by the declining area of sweet potato farming by 4.96 per cent in 2014 and 18.83 per cent in 2015.[106]
Bagansiapiapi fishing port, the town was one of world's busiest fishing port in 1900s
One of Riau's leading commodities is the fisheries sector. The geographical condition of Riau where 17.40% of the total area is an oceanic area and there are 15 rivers making the fisheries sector well developed. In addition, the vast extent of untapped land is a great potential for inland aquaculture to develop. In addition, the market demand for fishery products has increasingly made the catchment sector not enough so that fish farming activities such as cages, ponds, public fisheries and ponds are well developed.[106]
Riau fisheries production mostly comes from marine fisheries. In 2015, the data showed that marine fisheries were 106,233.1 tons or decreased 1 per cent from the previous year. In addition, the number of fishery households decreased to 14,610 households, an increase of 0.98 per cent. In addition, there was also a decline in the number of fishing vessels as many as 123 units.
The land fishery product processing industry can be divided into four types, namely floating nets, ponds, public fisheries and ponds. In 2015, fish production from floating nets was 5,378.56 tons or decreased by 82.52 per cent. This decrease was caused by a decrease in the number of floating nets as many as 157,638 units. Fish production in public fisheries also decreased by 3.9 per cent due to a decrease in the number of households. Fish pond production increased by 5,425.2 tons or 10.8 per cent. Temporary data on fish pond production showed a drastic decrease of 82.23 per cent even though the number of fish ponds increased by 89.15 hectares compared to 2014.[106]
Along with increasing public consumption needs for livestock products, both in terms of consumption of livestock meat and other livestock products, such as milk and eggs, the Riau provincial government through the Agriculture and Livestock Service Office continues to try to meet these needs. In addition to the commitment of Riau province to increase food self-sufficiency in 2020, the number of animal populations continues to be increased to meet consumption needs. This is reflected in the increase in some aspects of livestock in Riau in the last 3 years.[106]
Plantation industry mainly centre aroundoil palm and rubber tree cultivation. They are either run by the state, big corporations or by small holders. There are also citrus and coconut plantations to be found. For oil palm plantations, land areas currently being cultivated in Riau province are around 1:34 million hectares. In addition there have been about 116 palm oil mills (PKS) which operate and produce a total of 3.38 millions tons of crude palm oil (CPO) per year.
In this province there are several international companies engaged in the oil and gas as well as the processing of forest products and oil. In addition there is also a copra and rubber processing industry. Several major companies including Chevron Pacific Indonesia a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, PT. Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk in Perawang, and PT. Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper in Pangkalan Kerinci Riau provincial mining. Minerals are petroleum, gas, and coal.
In the field of banking in the province is growing rapidly, this marked the number of private banks and rural banks, in addition to local government-owned banks such as Bank of Riau Kepri.
Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport inPekanbaru is the largest airport in the province. It serves as the gateway to Pekanbaru and Riau in a whole. The airport serves flights to other major cities in Indonesia such asJakarta,Surabaya,Bandung andMedan. Moreover, the airport also serves international flights to cities neighbouring countries such as Singapore,Malacca andKuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Furthermore, the airport also was used forhajj embarkation toJeddah andMedina in Saudi Arabia. On 16 July 2012, a Rp 2 trillion ($212 million) new terminal has been opened to accommodate 1.5 million passengers a year.[107] The new terminal spanning 17,000 square meters and a more spacious aircraft apron which can accommodate 10 wide-body aircraft, twice the capacity of the old apron. The new terminal is designed with a mix of Malay and modern architecture. The physical form of the building is inspired from the typical flying fauna form of Riau, Serindit birds. To meet the technical requirements of a world-class airport, the airport runway is extended from 2,200 meters to 2,600 meters and then to 3,000 meters.[108] There are other smaller airports in Riau which mostly serves regional or charter flights, such asPinang Kampai Airport inDumai,Tuanku Tambusai Airport in Pasir Pangaraian,Japura Airport inRengat,Sei Pakning Airport inTembilahan,Sei Pakning Airport inSungai Pakning andSultan Syarief Haroen II Airport inPangkalan Kerinci.
TheTrans-Sumatran Highway runs along the length of the province. Riau serves as a junction of the highway, withNorth Sumatra to the north,Jambi to the south andWest Sumatra to the west. Most of the roads have been paved, but there are some sections that is in poor condition. Road damage was allegedly due to the large number of trucks carrying palm oil crops passing from Riau toNorth Sumatra or vice versa.[109] As part of theTrans-Sumatra Toll Road program, the government is currently constructing the 131,48 km longPekanbaru–Dumai Toll Road, which would connectPekanbaru, the provincial capital and the port city ofDumai on theStrait of Malacca.[110] The first section between Pekanbaru and Minas is expected to begin operation in December 2019 and the whole toll road is expected to begin operation in 2020.[110][111] Another toll road connecting Pekanbaru andPadang inWest Sumatra is also under the planning stage. Construction is expected to start on the Riau side due to land clearing issue on the West Sumatran side.[112] The project would also include the construction of an 8.95 km tunnel in thePayakumbuh area that will penetrate theBukit Barisan Mountains, which would be the longest tunnel in Indonesia.[113]
The Port of Dumai is the largest port in the province. It serves both passengers and cargo. The port serves ferries toBatam andTanjung Pinang in theRiau Islands, as well as international destinations such as Singapore, Johor andMalacca in Malaysia. River transportation is also important in Riau, as the province is crossed by many large rivers.
After thePekanbaru Railway was abandoned at the end ofWorld War II, there is currently no active railway line in Riau. However, there has been a proposal of reactivating the Pekanbaru-West Sumatra railway to connect Pekanbaru andPadang on the western coast ofSumatra, as well as building the Pekanbaru-Duri-Rantau Prapat railway which would connect Riau and the existing railway line inNorth Sumatra, as well as building the Pekanbaru-Jambi-Betung-Palembang railway which would connect Riau with Jambi and th existing railway line inSouth Sumatra. Overall, this railway system would form the Trans-Sumatra Railway.[114]
The prime tourist attractions of Riau can be divided into natural environment, as well as the culture and history of the RiauMalay people.
Tourist attractions in Riau are diverse, ranging from marine tourism, because of the location of Riau which is directly facing theStrait of Malacca. The province has a long history and is present throughout the province, thus making its historical and cultural tourism diverse and well-known. Each of the regencies in Riau has a tourist attraction within.
The location ofKampar Regency which is directly adjacent with the province ofWest Sumatra allows its culture to be greatly influenced by the culture of theMinangkabau people. Kampar Regency also has some famous and historical attractions, such as theMuara Takus Buddhist Temple.[115] There are also many spectacular waterfalls spread throughout Kampar. Moreover, there are also tombs of Malay and Minangkabau kings in Kampar. The city ofBangkinang has many tourist attractions that have nuances of nature, history, religion and culinary that cannot be found in any parts of Indonesia.
People participate in parade of ornamental vessels calledPerahu Baganduang in Lubuk Jambi, Kuantan Singingi, 2018
TheKepulauan Meranti Regency has a variety of marine tourism destinations. Therefore, making it one of the biggest contributors to tourist attractions in Riau that attract both domestic and international tourists each year. The capitalSelat Panjang has aChinese-majority population, making it one of the few cities to have this characteristic. This explains why the culture of Selat Panjang as well as the whole of Kepulauan Meranti is highly influenced by both Chinese and Malay culture. Moreover, there are several Chinese temples that can be found in Selat Panjang and the surrounding area, including theHoo Ann Kiong Temple, which is the oldest ChineseTaoist temple inSelat Panjang.[116][better source needed]
Kuantan Singingi Regency, commonly known as Kuansing, is arantau (migration) area for theMinangkabau people fromWest Sumatra. Therefore, the culture and customs of Kuansing is highly influenced by Minangkabau culture. On the other hand, Kuansing also contains many tourist destinations. Kuansing is known for its cultural festival that usually happens during theEid al-Fitr and other holidays such as the Baganduang Boat Festival (Indonesian:Festival Perahu Baganduang). The Baganduang Boat Festival was first held as a festival in 1996.[117] These boats are then decorated with flags, coconut leaves, umbrellas, long cloths, pumpkins, photos of the president and vice president, and other objects that have traditional symbols. For example, rice symbolizes agricultural fertility and buffalo horns that symbolize livestock. In the festival, guests were presented with a variety of entertainment, includingRarak Calempong,Panjek Pinang, andPotang Tolugh. The process of making a baganduang boat is usually blessed with a Malay ceremony. Another festival in Kuansing is thePacu Jalur Festival. Pacu Jalur is the largest annual festival for the people of theKuantan Singingi Regency, especially in the capital, Taluk Kuantan, which is along the bank of theKuantan River. Originally, the festival was held to commemorate the Islamic holidays such as theMawlid, or the commemoration of the New Year's Eve. But after theIndonesian independence, Pacu Jalur is now usually held to celebrate the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.[118] Pacu Jalur is a long rowing boat race, similar to theDragon Boat race in neighboringMalaysia and Singapore, which is a boat or canoe made of wood that can reach 25 to 40 meters in length. In the Taluk Kuantan area, the native people called the longboat used in the festival asJalur. The boat rower team ranges from 50 to 60 people.[119]
Pelalawan Regency has a long history, even as the name Pelalawan was taken from the name of the former Pelalawan Kingdom. And the Pelalawan Kingdom was once victorious in 1725 and was very famous with its Sultan Syed Abdurrahman Fachrudin. Apart from its history, Pelalawan also stores quite a lot of tourist attractions besides its history. Remnants of the old Pelalawan Kingdom can still be seen throughout the regency, such as Sayap Pelalawan palace where the former Sultan of Pelalawan reside. Inside the Pelalawan Wing Palace there are many relics, such as keris weapons, spears, and various other relics placed in the palace central room.[120] Another remnants is tomb of thesultans of Pelalawan. Most of the tourist who frequented the tomb are usually pilgrims and certain days the tomb is quite crowded with pilgrims.[121] Moreover, Pelalawan serves as the gateway to theTesso Nilo National Park.
Bakar Tongkang or Junk Burning Festival inBagansiapiapi, Rokan Hilir, 2019
Rokan Hilir Regency as one of the regencies in Riau which is directly facing theStrait of Malacca, was once the largest fish producer in Indonesia. Since the Dutch colonial era, Rokan Hilir with its capitalBagansiapiapi has already become more advanced than other region especially in terms of trade. The tourism industry in Rokan Hilir is also quite well known both on a national and international scale. Rokan Hilir is known for its tourist spots and festival such as the Junk burning festival. Known in the localRiau Hokkien asGo Gek Cap Lak,[a] theJunk burning festival is an annual ritual of the community in Bagansiapiapi which has been well known overseas and is included in the Indonesian tourism tourist. Every year this ritual can attract tourists fromMalaysia, Singapore,Thailand,Taiwan toMainland China. Now this annual event is heavily promoted by the government of Rokan Hilir Regency as a source of tourism.[122] The initial history of the festival was started by Chinese people who lived in Bagansiapiapi to commemorate their ancestors and also as a gesture of gratitude to the God Kie Ong Ya.[123] Other than that, Bagansiapiapi and the surrounding area has many Chinese temples that can be visited.
TheRokan Hulu Regency has the nicknameNegeri Seribu Suluk. The district is bordered by two provinces, namelyNorth Sumatra andWest Sumatra. It is certain that the acculturation of culture in Rokan Hulu Regency has become more diverse, starting from customs and traditions. Rokan Hulu contains many lakes, waterfalls and caves that is spread throughout the region. One of the historical assets that is still standing firmly in Rokan Hulu, is thePalace of Rokan Hulu. This palace, which is already 200 years old, is a relic of the Nagari Tuo Sultanate. Although there are some parts of the repair but the architecture is still intact and also the carvings on the wood are still clearly visible.[124]
Siak Regency is the number two richest district in Riau afterBengkalis Regency. The main export of Siak Regency is petroleum which finally can deliver it to become the second richest regency in the province. On the other hand, the regency is currently boosting the tourism sector to attract more visitors. As Siak was once the house of theSultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura, the regency contains remnants of the sultanate that is still well-preserved, such as theSiak Sri Indrapura Palace. The palace complex has an area of about 32,000 square meters consisting of 4 palaces namely Istana Siak, Istana Lima, Istana Padjang, and Istana Baru. Each of the palace includingSiak Palace itself has an area of 1,000 square meters.[125] The palace contains royal ceremonial objects, such as a gold-plated crown set with diamonds, a golden throne and personal objects of Sultan Syarif Qasyim and his wife, such as theKomet, a multi-centennial musical instrument which is said to have been made only two copies in the world.[126] Presently, thekomet is still functioning and is used to play works by composers such asBeethoven,Mozart andStrauss. Siak is also home to the tomb ofSultan Syarif Kasim II, the last Sultan of Siak.
Dumai is a city located in Riau whose location is very strategic especially for international trade because of its location in theStrait of Malacca. In addition, Dumai was the largest city in Indonesia during that old era. Dumai is home to many beaches and mangrove forests.
The capital of Riau,Pekanbaru, contains several tourist attractions. The Idrus Tintin Art Building is named after an Indonesian artist named Idrus Tintin. Judging from the architecture of the Idrus Tintin Art Building almost looks like a Malay Royal Palace, even though this building functioned as an art performance venue. Various works by Indonesian artists are displayed in the building.[127] TheAn-Nur Great Mosque is the pride of Pekanbaru. An-Nur Great Mosque is one of the grandest mosques in Indonesia. An-Nur Great Mosque was built in 1968 from the side of its architecture which is similar to theTaj Mahal in India. Therefore, many people Riau called the mosque as the "Taj Mahal of Riau".[128]Soeman H.S Library is named afterSoeman H.S, a novelist from Riau and his name is immortalized as the name of the library in downtown Pekanbaru. Thearchitectural style of the building is similar to open books or like arehal (folding lecterns for theQur'an). This tourist spot in Riau has quite a collection of books, and has even been the largest library in Asia.[129]
Traditional Malay cuisine in Riau has much in common with other Malay cuisines in other part of theMalay world and Sumatran cuisine which generally uses spices andcoconut milk to produce spicy, fatty and thickcurry.. Most dishes use basic ingredients of fish, frompangasius,mystus,anchovy,Spanish mackerels,rays, andprawns, and often usesbuffalo or ox meat. Additional ingredients commonly used areBelacan. Almost every Malay dish is served with white rice or withnasi lemak and is usually eaten using hands.
Nasi Lemak is a typical Riau food in the form of rice cooked with coconut milk to provide a savory flavor and fragrant aroma.Nasi Lemak is generally served with side dishes such as eggs, fried anchovy, chili sauce, cucumber slices and other side dishes. Thisnasi lemak is easily found in stalls and restaurants inPekanbaru. In archipelagic region like theRiau Islands province ofIndonesia, usually seafood are used to accompany nasi lemak, such asikan bilis (anchovy),ikan tamban (Sardinella longiceps),ikan selar kuning (Selaroides leptolepis),sotong orcumi-cumi (squid) or smallprawns. The Riau islands traditional nasi lemak is quite similar to Malaysian version; it comes as a platter of coconut rice wrapped in banana leaf, with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sauce (sambal).[130] The Riau islands version however, comes with an addition of small fish locally known asikan tamban, usually fried withsambal chili paste and very crispy, the whole fish is edible.[131]Prawns andsquids are also commonly stir-fried in chili paste assambal udang orsambal cumi. In Indonesia, nasi lemak is often sprinkled withbawang goreng (crispy friedshallot granules). InPekanbaru city in Sumatran province of Riau however, freshwater river fishes are commonly used aslauk to accompany nasi lemak. The freshwater fishes includesikan selais (Kryptopterus cryptopterus) andikan patin (Pangasius). Other fish such asikan lomek (Harpadon nehereus) is also commonly used. These fishes are usually cooked inMinang stylelado ijo (green chili pepper), minced and fried asperkedel ikan, or just plainly fried.[132]
TheGulai Ikan Patin (Catfish soup) has a very delicious and powerful taste and it can be easily be found around Pekanbaru.Gulai Ikan Patin is a typical Pekanbaru food that has a deep yellow sauce to soak the pieces of catfish. The people of Riaum especially Pekanbaru, generally also consume other ingredients other than the catfish. There are sidedishes accompanying the dish, such as boiled yams, leaf tops and more.Gulai Ikan Patin is usually cooked with theetlingera elatior to enhance the flavouring.
Asam pedas (orAsam padeh inMinangkabau) is a Malay-Minangkabau dish that can be found in Riau and the surrounding area.. It is a type sour and spicy fish stew dish.[133] The main ingredients inasam pedas are usually seafood or freshwater fish. They are cooked inasam (tamarind) fruit juice withchilli and spices. The cooking process involves soaking the pulp of the tamarind fruit until it is soft and then squeezing out the juice for cooking the fish.Asam paste may be substituted for convenience. Vegetables such asterong orbrinjals (Indianeggplants),okra and tomatoes are added. Fish and seafood – such asmackerel,mackerel tuna,tuna,skipjack tuna,red snapper,gourami,pangasius,hemibagrus orcuttlefish – either the whole body or sometimes only thefish heads are added to make a spicy and tartfish stew. It is important that the fish remain intact for serving so generally the fish is added last.[134] In the Riau region, the most common fish used in asam pedas istongkol (mackerel tuna).
Aside from the main dish, typical Riau restaurant also serves local snacks. An example is theroti jala.Roti jala typical Riau food which is influenced byMalay culture.[135]Roti jala is a dish that is generally present at large parties such as weddings. This food is made from the basic ingredients of flour which, after being cooked, will be served with a spill of durian sauce for those who like sweet foods. Aside from being served with sauce,roti jala is also commonly eaten with curry chicken, mutton or beef.Roti jala has a triangular shape that is produced from a mold. Although it is usually white in colour, some creative cooker also gives food colouring such aspandanus to make theroti jala green in colour.Roti cane is a typical Riau food. This bread has much in common withroti pratha inIndia and Singapore aside from the taste and eating method.[citation needed]
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