Monas park has new Las Vegas-style fountain
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A touch of glamor has been lent to the National Monument (Monas) park -- already home to deer and colored pigeons -- with the opening on Saturday night of a fountain that emulates the Las Vegas Bellagio fountains. With music and choreographed laser beams, the Rp 26 billion fountain, which is in the west of the park in Central Jakarta, accompanies Monas, the city's principal landmark, a 132-meter- high column topped with a glittering flame.
Three hectares of the park around the new fountain, which has a 45 meter by 80 m pond, has been made more beautiful to enhance visitors' experience.
They are also encouraged to feed the 800 colored pigeons that have occupied the park since last month.
"The fountain will operate every Saturday and Sunday and on holidays from 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.," assistant to the city secretary for development affairs Hari Sandjojo said.
The administration has limited the fountain's operation as it requires total power of 1,660 kilo volt ampere (KVA).
The fountain will feature 10 different choreographic water configurations accompanied by 14 songs, including Betawi (native Jakarta) song Jali-jali, Kopi Dangdut, Lenggak-lenggok Jakarta, Ampar-ampar Pisang and Hela-hela Rotan.
The fountain was financed by advertising company PT Media Indra Buana (MIB) through a barter scheme in exchange for 28 locations for outdoor advertising billboards across the capital, including the giant videotronic screen at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.
MIB president director Nyomananda said the administration and MIB were looking into the possibility of renting out the fountain, built using German technology, for parties or product launches.
Jakarta residents may recall that the city administration once built another fountain at the site, also accompanied by music. The fountain was shut down in the early 1980s owing to its high maintenance cost. It became popular with some residents as a place to bathe and wash their clothes.
The operator of the new fountain earlier said it would operate for at least 10 years if it was properly maintained.