Riau Islands

Riau Islands Province is one of the Indonesian archipelago provinces, located close to Sumatra Island. Riau Islands Province consists of around 2,408 large and small islands, with the main islands such as Bintan Island, Batam Island, Kundur Island, Karimun Island, and Bunguran Island. The geographical position of the Riau Islands Province stretches from the Malacca Strait to the South China Sea (Natuna) and is directly bordered by Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Singapore. The Riau Islands Province spans in a total area of ​​251,810 km2, where 96% of them are oceans and 4% are the lands. Tanjungpinang is the capital city of the province and can be reached from Singapore in approximately 1-2 hours drive by boat. The history of the Riau Islands evolved from Hindu-Buddhist to Islamic times. Pasir Panjang Inscription in Karimun island shows the presence of Buddhist shrine during the 9-10th century AD. In the 19th century, the region was under the rule of the Islamic Malay Kingdom, called Riau-Lingga Sultanate. Every year the region celebrates Riau Islands Maritime Festival. This festival carries on the tradition of the Tanjungpinang Dragon Boat Contest and attracts international participants. The Riau Islands Maritime Festival also features a variety of unique Riau Islands cultures, from the Dangkong Dance to the Carang River Festival. Besides, this area has its distinctive textile tradition, called Telepuk. Telepuk is a special technique of decorating a textile with gold or bronze dyes. This tradition has developed since the Lingga Sultanate in the 19th Century. The Telepuk tradition remains preserved in the Batik production of Riau Islands.

Riau Islands

Images of region:

Images of batik motif region:

Map:

Cities of the region