19/10/2021
UBUD IS A CITY OF ART AND CULTURE
Ubud is a city on the Indonesian island of Bali in the sub-district of Ubud, nestled between rice fields and a steep ravine at the foot of the central hill of Gianyar Regency. Promoted as a center of arts and culture, has developed a large tourism industry. Ubud, often misunderstood as a small town, is an administrative district (district) with a population of 74,800 (as of the 2020 Census) on an area of 42.38 km 2 . The central area of Ubud village (village) has a population of 11,971 people and an area of 6.76 km 2 , and receives more than 3 million foreign tourists every year. The area around the city consists of small farms, rice fields, agroforestry plantations, and tourist accommodation. In 2018, more tourists visited Ubud than Denpasar in southern Bali.
HISTORY OF UBUD
An eighth century legend tells of a Javanese priest, Rsi Markendya, who meditated at the confluence of two rivers (a lucky site for Hindus) in the Ubud Campuhan area. Here he founded the Gunung Lebah Temple at the bottom of the valley, a site that remains a pilgrimage destination.
The city was originally important as a source of medicinal plants and herbs; Ubud gets its name from the Balinese word ubad (medicine).
In the late nineteenth century, Ubud became the seat of feudal lords who owed their allegiance to the king of Gianyar, at one time the most powerful of the southern states of Bali. The aristocrats were members of the Balinese Kshatriya caste of Suk, and were important supporters of the increasingly popular world of village art.
Tourism on the island flourished after the arrival of Walter Spies, an ethnic German born in Russia who teaches painting and music, as well as dabbles in dance. Foreign spies and painters Willem Hofker and Rudolf Bonnet entertained celebrities including Charlie Chaplin, Noël Coward, Barbara Hutton, HG Wells and Vicki Baum. They brought in some of the greatest artists from all over Bali to teach and train Balinese in the arts, helping Ubud to become the cultural center of Bali.
Another foreign artist Han Snel is a Dutch soldier who discovered Ubud after his military service building a studio with his new wife Siti, his paintings capture the imaginations of foreigners and Balinese with a refreshing synthesis of both cultures.
Antonio Blanco a Spanish/American artist lived in Ubud from 1952 until his death in 1999.
A new burst of creative energy came in the 1960s after the arrival of the Dutch painter Arie Smit (born 1916) and the development of the Young Artists Movement.
Bali's tourism boom since the late 1960s has seen a lot of development in the city; However, it remained at the center of artistic pursuits.
In 2002, a terrorist bombing caused a decline in tourism throughout Bali including Ubud. In response to this, a writers festival was created, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival to help revive tourism, the island's main economic lifeline.
CULTURE
"This city and area has a number of art museums, such as the Blanco Renaissance Museum, Puri Painting Museum, Neka Art Museum, and Agung Rai Museum of Art. The Rudana Museum in Peliatan is nearby. Galleries promoting local and foreign crafts are also abundant in Ubud. Several often hold exhibitions that focus on stimulating dialogue between local and international artists, and less on selling art.One prime example is BIASA ArtSpace, founded by art lover and fashion designer Susanna Perini.
The Tek Tok is a traditional Balinese dance accompanied by the sound of music from the mouth of 'Tek Tok' altogether with various combinations of body movements and other sounds. The story of Draupadi Parwa told in the Tek Tok Dance tells a moral message, when a woman who embodies the values of patience, sacrifice, compassion, devotion, and holy sincerity is not respected, then disaster and calamity will befall a kingdom or country. This story also conveys the message that truth, virtue, devotion and sincere compassion will always be protected by God. Tek Tok dance performances are held regularly at the Bali Culture Center (BCC) Ubud four times a week. The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) is held annually, which attracts writers and readers from all over the world.
Many Balinese dances are performed around Ubud including Legong by Peliatan Dance Group, the first group to travel aborad.
🚖 Transportation
Like other towns popular with tourists in Bali, it is not permitted to order a metered taxi or ride-sharing service for pickup within Ubud. Instead, a taxi and price must be negotiated with a member of the local taxi cooperative. This protectionist system ensures the driver is from the local area, and also keeps the fares inflated to up to 10 times the rates available elsewhere.
"TOURIST AREA
Ubud has a very diverse tourist area, from forest tourism to water tourism scattered in the Ubud area, including:
Painting Castle Museum ❤️
It is the first fine art museum, managed by the private sector, in Bali. It was initiated by Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and a foreign artist based in Ubud, Rudolf Bonnet. Established on January 31, 1956 under the auspices of the Ratna Warta Foundation, and officially opened by the Minister of Education and Culture, Muhammad Yamin.
In this museum, you can enjoy the development of fine arts in Ubud, both painting and sculpture. Several works by foreign artists working in Ubud such as: Rudolf Bonnet, Walter Spies, Arie Smit and local maestros such as I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, I Gusti Made Deblog, Ida Bagus Made and others. This includes works of art during the Pita Maha era.
Ubud Royal Palace ❤️
Ubud Palace
Puri Agung Ubud Krisnakusuma is located right in the heart of Ubud. It was the administrative center of the Ubud Kingdom in ancient times, as well as the center of cultural and traditional arts activities, which were held right in front of the castle. Puri Ubud still has the layout and buildings that are preserved as they were originally. In the front yard, after the gate, there is an area called Ancak Saji. Here once a week dance performances are held, for tourists. And every day, gamelan exercises are held from various musical art groups in Ubud. All artistic activities further thicken the atmosphere of Ubud as a village with an artistic perspective.
Wanara Wana ❤️
Wanara Wana or Monkey Forest, (better known as Monkey Forest) is a sacred forest area located in the Ubud area, precisely in the area of the traditional village of Padangtegal, Ubud. In this forest there are herds of monkeys numbering in the hundreds, who have inhabited this area for hundreds of years. In this area there is also Pura Dalem Padangtegal, which was founded in the early 20th century. The temple has very ancient and artistic architecture and ornaments. You can also look for the sacred spring under the hidden Komodo Statue, which, when drunk, is believed to cure all kinds of ailments.
👉Rudana Museum and Rudana Fine Art Gallery ❤️
Rudana Museum
The Rudana Museum is an art museum located in Ubud, Bali, which was founded by Nyoman Rudana, a painting collector who also sits as a member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) representing Bali Province for the 2004-2009 period and was inaugurated by President Suharto on December 26, 1995. This museum stores more than 400 paintings and sculptures by artists, both from Bali, Indonesian artists outside Bali and the works of foreign artists who make Bali the place to work. Located in one complex, stands the Rudana Fine Art Gallery which was founded in 1978 and is the forerunner to the establishment of the Rudana Museum.
Rafting ❤️
In the western area of Ubud, there is Tukad (Kali) Ayung. On this river there are many water tourism activities, including rafting and kayaking. There are several water tourism services that offer this service. In addition to water tourism, along the cliffs of Tukad Ayung also have attractive natural scenery, and there are dozens of star hotels.
More interesting places ❤️
Sukawati Art Market
Sukawati Art Market is a place where Balinese art items are sold, so they are suitable as Balinese souvenirs for keepsakes. It is located about 20 km from the heart of Denpasar. In this art market, there are hundreds of art traders gathered to sell handicrafts, ranging from wooden statues, paintings, t-shirts, shorts, bags, sandals, and more. The motif is unique and typical of Bali.
Ubud Art Market ❤️
In the Ubud area, there is the Ubud Art Market or Ubud Art Market, a place that sells Balinese souvenirs. This place has become one of the main tourist destinations in Bali for domestic and foreign tourists. Fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables, poultry and local snacks can be purchased from the wet market located in the basement of the building.
