Going on a family outing, discovering harmony

Going on a family outing, discovering harmony

By Apriadi Gunawan

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Dewi Recreational Park, some 46 km
from Medan in the direction of Sibolangit, Deli Serdang, is a
popular holiday destination for families. Easily accessible, this
tourist area is noted for its beauty, and cool, fresh mountain
air.

For the people of North Sumatra, this five-hectare park is
famous for its variety of buildings and monuments, a symbol of
religious harmony. These erections -- mosques, Buddhist temples
and a statue of Jesus Christ -- reflect the independent
characteristics of different religions in their togetherness.

Statues at the site enhance the impression of its activity and
beauty. The composition of a monument, vessel and statue of Malin
Kundang -- a West Sumatra folklore character -- seem alive in the
park. Likewise, when you are in the Semar-Bagong Park, you feel
as if you are somewhere in Central Java, the land of wayang
shadow puppets.

Dewi Park also houses the four-faced Buddha, a statue
specially imported by the owner from Thailand. Aside from the
Bhudda statue, the park also boasts a statue of the Eight
Immortals (Pak Sen Kwei Hai in the Fujianese dialect), the Temple
of the Goddess of Mercy (Kwan Si Im Goddess), the bathing place
of legend Jaka Tarub, the Dinosaur Park, pagodas and statues of
tribal people in Indonesia.

Apart from its unique recreational values, this tourist spot
has many educational facilities. That's why park management
provides various facilities for children, such as a swimming pool
and a playground.

This park has existed for quite a long time and is the
creation of Hasan Hasanuddin (Nee Tjeng Pho San), now aged 60. He
began construction of the park as hobby. Hasan loves traveling
and has visited a number of regions and countries. One day,
Hasan, who is of mixed Chinese-Javanese blood, said he was deep
in contemplation at a park in Tretes, East Java. He was greatly
impressed by the arrangement of the park and was deeply moved by
his awareness of God's greatness.

No sooner had he returned to North Sumatra than he began to
look for a plot of land. In 1974 he bought a 5-hectare plot of
land which was formerly a forest area in Sibolangit. "The land is
suitable for tourism because it is cool," he said. Initially, he
did not have any idea of what to build on the plot. He needed
divine inspiration; so off he went to Mount Kawi. While there, he
thought God had given him the indication he was searching for.

After returning from Mount Kawi, Hasan began constructing Dewi
Park in stages. The first facility constructed was the swimming
pool. Then he went commenced the construction of other buildings
and allowed free rein to his tourism-related ideas.

He linked the construction of his tourist facilities with his
self-expression of the grandeur of the Creator. Hence, there a
number of buildings reflecting a variety of religions in this
park. To maintain the island's association with the beauty of
nature, the park also houses casuarina trees and other kinds of
flora.

"I'm no architect. I did the construction without thinking how
much I had to spend. Where there is a will, I believe, there is a
way," said Hasan, who said he had only received Indonesian-
Chinese elementary schooling.

Dewi Park was inaugurated by Deli Serdang regent Baharuddin
Siregar on March 7, 1977. In 1985, the park hosted a gathering of
young Buddhists from across the country. It was then that North
Sumatra governor, Kaharuddin Nasution, inaugurated the Mahayana
Goddess Temple in the park. Just like the Buddhists, Christians
also often conduct religious activities there. Muslims have used
the facility for a rapid course of Islamic teaching for
youngsters (pesantren kilat).

This park also provides a meeting room with seating capacity
for 100 people. In addition, there are also 28 jasmine-rated
hotel rooms inside the park. As this park has virtually every
facility that a visitor will ever need, it now enjoys high
prestige in North Sumatra. No wonder, therefore, the Sahwali
Award from the Indonesian Center for Information and
Environmental Management was awarded to Hasan Hasanuddin in 1993
and 1997 in Denpasar, Bali.

Hasan's outstanding achievement with his park so impressed the
Global Indonesia Foundation and Northern California International
University that they were planning on awarding him with an
honorary doctorate in 2000. Unfortunately, Hasan simply ignored
their invitation, arguing that he did not deserve this honor.

"I have not developed this park out of a wish to be awarded
any citation. I have developed this park to show my gratitude to
the Indonesian government for financing my schooling," he said.

He explained that he was very keen on helping develop tourism
in Deli Serdang. In reality, however, he said the local
administration does not seem to assist. He said he had never
received any assistance from the local administration and never
expected any financial assistance. Even a 100-m road leading to
the gate of Dewi Park, for example, is in very poor repair. The
road, in fact, is the responsibility of the Deli Serdang regency
administration.

"We cannot talk much about tourism in Deli Serdang at present.
The local tourism service was not set up until 1998," said
Syamsudin Tarigan, head of the tourism, arts and cultural service
of Deli Serdang regency.

Hasan Hasanuddin has been disappointed by the lack of support
shown by the Deli Serdang regency administration for his
endeavors to promote tourism in this area. Regardless, he remains
determined to continue developing the park.

"I hope some other businessmen are willing to help develop
Dewi Park further. I don't mind letting them control part of my
shares," said Hasan, now planning to construct a huge aquarium
before the end of 2001.