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The
Madjapahit Dynasty based in and around East Java provincy, began
the foundations of an empire that was to dominate the entire Indonesian
archipelago, the Malay peninsula and part of the Philippines, also
establishing profitable trade relations with China, Cambodia, Siam,
Burma and Vietnam.
As power in Central Java declined in the 10-th century, powerful
kingdoms rose in East Java to fill the power vacuum. Between the
year 1055 and 1222, the kingdom of Kediri prospered and expanded.
During the reign of King Erlangga both East Java and Bali enjoyed
a lucrative trade with the surrounding islands, directly relating
to a period of artistic advancement and mastery. Parts of the Mahabarata
epic were translated and re-interpreted to conform closer to an
East Javanese philosophy and view of life, and it was from this
era that East Java inherited much of its treasure of temple art.
Today the open air amphitheater at Pandaan
tells some of the stories of this glorious past, with performances
against an impressive backdrop of distant volcanoes, capturing the
spirit of the province's culture and scenery. East Java's claim
to fame in modern history is its vanguard role in the struggle for
independence against colonial forces in 1945.
Little of the Majapahit Empire's former glory still stands in Eastjava,
however, with the exception of temple ruins and some archeological
discoveries. Nevertheless, East Java has a variety of attractions,
ranging from temple sites to beautiful, unspoiled beaches, awesome
volcanoes, picturesque highland lakes, colorful marine gardens and
fantastic wildlife reserves. Magnificent mountain scenery includes
the crater and legendary sea of sand at Mount Bromo, the "sulphur
mountain" of Welirang and the rugged Ijen Plateau. The island
of Madura, famous for its bull races, is also part of the province
and has its own traditions and even a different language.
The provincial capital, Surabaya is second
in size, population and commerce only to Jakarta. It is also the
most industrialized province in the nation with a strong economy
based on agriculture, fishery, oil industries, coffee, mangoes and
apples.
The province is efficiently
connected to the rest of Java by good roads, regular trains, and
air services between Surabaya and other major cities in the country
including Denpasar on Bali, which is only half an hour's flight
away, and Mataram in Lombok.
Visit
www.eastjava.com
there
are 1000 picture here
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