President Jokowi, First Lady Iriana, their first son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and his wife Selvi Ananda, along with their two grandchildren, Jan Ethes Srinarendra and La Lembah Manah, were seen at the Borobudur Temple.
The head of state arrived at the destination at 10 a.m. local time, which drew the attention of other visitors who were witnessing the beauty of one of the world's cultural heritage sites.
According to the Presidential Secretariat's written statement, the president and his family were accompanied by a guide from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, named Heri Setiawan.
Setiawan, who accompanied the president and his family during the visit, spoke at length about Borobudur Temple and its sustainability.
President Jokowi sought information from Setiawan about the regulation for visitors keen to go up to the temple.
"He gave a positive response related to limiting the number of visitors because if the visits are not restricted, then it will speed up the weathering of Borobudur Temple," Setiawan stated.
During the visit, President Jokowi told his grandchildren about the history and importance of preserving historical sites.
It was a learning experience for Jan Ethes, who sought answers from his grandfather about reliefs and stupas.
"This is a Buddhist temple, Ethes. What is the Prambanan temple then?" President Jokowi told Jan Ethes, according to Setiawan's recount.
Alif and Tira, visitors from Makassar, felt lucky to have seen the president unexpectedly.
"This is really surprising. Earlier, we saw that there was a group of officials, but it turned out that the car was the president's car," Alif said while describing his surprise.
Related news: Minister highlights three programs to develop Borobudur area
Related news: Borobudur Temple: Govt targets 2 mln visitors per year
Translator: Yashinta P, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
