All language subtitles for Aerial Asia Part 4 Indonesia 20170329, 720p HDTV x264 CBFM.Eng

ADAM LIAW: It's been called
the Improbable Nation.

17,000 islands

stretching 5,000 kilometres
across three time zones.

It's home to hundreds
of ethnic groups

and many religions...

..ancient rites and rituals...

..and the world's largest
Muslim population.

They're all part of one country -
Indonesia.

Lying along a tectonic plate,

Indonesia's geography,
like it's history, is turbulent,

constantly changing
and sometimes deadly.

Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire,

the archipelago is dominated
by a chain of active volcanoes

and frequently rocked by earthquakes.

There is nowhere on Earth as diverse
in its human cultures...

..or as varied in its landscape
and oceans.

Join us on this aerial journey
across the Indonesian archipelago.

For centuries tropical spices enticed
European traders

to the region
they called the East Indies.

The holy trinity
of pepper, cloves, and nutmeg

packed into the holds
of trading fleets

powered an age of exploration.

These spices were highly-valued
and much sought after.

They were the reason
that the Dutch East India Company,

a powerful multinational,

came to the island of Java
in the 17th century.

The company seized the port
of Jayakarta

and razed it to the ground.

In its place they built the city
of Batavia

which was to become the hub
of a thriving colony.

It was from here that the Dutch
would conquer the archipelago,

from Aceh in the west
to Papua in the east.

After the Second World War,
nationalists fought for independence

and threw out the Dutch to create
the modern Republic of Indonesia.

Modern Jakarta celebrates
that hard-won freedom

here on Medan Merdeka,

Independence Square.

It's one of the largest city squares
in the world,

five times the size
of Beijing's Tiananmen.

The centrepiece of Medan Merdeka
is the National Monument.

It was built by
Indonesia's first president Sukarno

to celebrate the revolutionary heroes

who had freed the nation
from colonial rule.

Today's Jakarta is a city
of hopes and dreams.

Each year tens of thousands
of Indonesians come here

from the other provinces
to seek their fortunes.

3.5 million people commute
from the outlying areas

to the city centre,

creating some of the worst
traffic jams in the world.

(CAR HORNS BLARE)

Traffic is often gridlocked during
morning and evening rush hours.

Jakarta is an economic hub

and the Greater Jakarta area is home
to over 30 million people,

a figure that increases by the day.

Indonesia has a population
of over 260 million.

Only China, India and
the United States have more people.

Indonesia also has the world's
largest Muslim population.

Almost 90% of Indonesians
practice Islam.

The faith travelled here
with Arab traders and scholars,

who began coming to the archipelago
in the eighth century.

(CALL TO PRAYER)

The Istiqlal, or Independence Mosque,
is the largest in South-East Asia.

It was commissioned
by President Sukarno

and took 17 years to build.

For Muslims, it is
the spiritual heart of the nation.

But Indonesia is a country
of many different faiths.

Over a thousand years ago

these islands were ruled
by a series of Hindu kingdoms.

In the 19th century

explorers ventured deep
into the jungles of Java.

They made an astonishing discovery -

an immense structure buried
under layers of volcanic ash.

On the tumbled blocks of stone were
tantalising fragments of carvings

that looked
like Indian temple reliefs.

And in every part of the ruins

the explorers found large statues
of the Buddha.

They had found the ruins

of one of the world's
most impressive monuments -

Borobudur.

Over a thousand years ago

local rulers began expanding
their village kingdoms.

To enhance their power,

they took on the trappings
of Indian rajahs.

They adopted their culture
and imitated their monuments.

One kingdom constructed
this huge temple.

It's made from
more than a million blocks

of grey andesite rock,

a gift from Java's volcanoes.

An army of stonecutters,
labourers and sculptors toiled

in the tropical heat

to create the largest Buddhist temple
in the world.

The immense temple was designed
to represent Mount Meru,

the cosmic mountain
of Indian mythology.

Over centuries

many of Borobudur's carvings
and statues were looted and sold,

but in the 1970s

the government undertook
an epic $25 million restoration.

Today Buddhist Borobudur is
one of Indonesia's national icons.

Java contains many other
archaeological treasures.

As Javanese kingdoms rose and fell,

their ambitious rulers competed
to outdo each other.

It seems that the ninth century
king of Mataram, Rakai Pikatan,

was envious of Borobudur.

He began to build a rival monument -
Prambanan.

Successive kings added new temples
to the complex.

The temple complex is also known
as Roro Jonggrang,

after a legendary princess.

She told an unwelcome suitor
that she'd marry him

if he built a thousand temples
in one night.

Helped by his army of genies
he would have succeeded,

but the princess told her maids
to begin pounding the day's rice,

thinking it was morning,
all the cocks crowed loudly

and the genies fled.

One temple remained unbuilt.

Enraged, her suitor turned
the princess into stone.

These temples are dedicated
not to the Buddha

but to the principal Hindu gods.

The largest temple was built
to honour Shiva, Lord of Destruction.

Here, the carved reliefs
tell the story of the Ramayana,

an Indian epic that was translated
into Javanese in the ninth century.

Like Borobudur,

Prambanan has been a victim
of Java's geological instability.

Over the centuries it has been rocked
by earthquakes

and volcanic eruptions.

As the old kingdoms
fell into decline,

the last Hindu rulers fled
across the sea to the island of Bali.

In the 15th century, as the message
of Islam swept across Java,

the last Hindu rajahs fled
to the neighbouring island of Bali.

Now a major tourist destination,

the island of the gods remains
a bastion of Hinduism.

There are more temples than houses
in Bali

if you count domestic shrines
as temples.

The Balinese called their version
of Hinduism 'Agama Tirtha',

'the Religion of Holy Water'.

For them, water is both
a vital ceremonial substance

and a source of prosperity.

Bali has over 200 streams and rivers.

But while water is plentiful,

a complex system and management
is needed

to irrigate the rice fields.

To coordinate the sharing of water,

farmers form associations
called 'subak'.

All decisions are coordinated
at the water temples,

the most important of these
is the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan,

built by a Balinese king
four centuries ago

to honour the water goddess.

The subak system dates back
to the ninth century

and brings together gods,
humans and nature.

It has enabled the Balinese to become

some of Indonesia's most effective
rice growers.

Wet rice farming has been practised
in Bali for over a thousand years

and these contoured landscapes
are the work

of many generations of farmers.

In the shadow of Mount Agung

lies the most sacred
of all Balinese temples -

Pura Besakih.

The site of this grand temple
complex has been revered

as a holy place
for at least 2,000 years.

Known as the Mother Temple,
it rises in a succession of steps

towards the summit of Mount Agung,
the abode of the gods.

Once it was a burial place
for Balinese royalty.

Today all Balinese,
regardless of caste,

can come and worship here.

(RUMBLING)

In 1963, Mount Agung erupted,
devastating the area.

Lava flows missed Pura Besakih
by only a few metres,

a miracle the Balinese attribute
to the holiness of the temple.

Beyond the shores of Bali,

small groups of Hindus still practise
their ancient rituals.

This is the Mount Bromo volcano

in the Tengger highlands
of East Java.

The volcano spews smoke, ash
and sulphur gas almost continuously.

It's never quiet

and the Tenggerese people
have learned to live

with its volatile moods.

The Tenggerese are among
the last Hindus on Java

and every year they celebrate
the Kasada festival.

Held according to the cycles
of the Hindu calendar,

the festival is dedicated
to the god Sang Hyang Widhi.

The ritual begins at midnight

in the temple
at the foot of Mount Bromo.

Priests come
from all over the highlands

to burn incense and make offerings.

But that is just the prelude
to a unique and ancient ritual.

Now the Tenggerese undertake

one of the riskiest pilgrimages
in the world.

The ceremony is said to be inspired

by the story of a princess
and her husband

who begged Sang Hyang Widhi
to bless them with children.

The God agreed but only on condition

that they threw their last born child
into the crater.

Standing on the narrow rim
of the volcano,

the villagers throw vegetables,
chickens and goats into the crater.

But there's a surprise.

As the pilgrims make their offerings,

poorer villagers gather
on the other side of the steep slope.

They're there to try and catch
the sacrifices

flung into the volcano.

In this way,
the offerings aren't wasted.

This Tenggerese ritual both appeases
the gods and redistributes resources.

Other Indonesian islands preserve
even older cultures and faiths.

In the central highlands of
the spider-shaped island of Sulawesi

live the Toraja people.

The Toraja have lived in this
landlocked region for many centuries.

They practise an ancient faith
and culture known as 'Aluk To Dolo'.

It means 'Religion of the Ancestors'

and its most important element
is a cult of the dead.

(PEOPLE CHANT)

Elaborate funeral rites lie
at the heart of Torajan society.

They believe that the souls
of the dead

travel to a land in the south.

To reach it, they have to be supplied
with the provisions they need

for their journey.

(CHANTING CONTINUES)

This funeral for a noblewoman
may last for up to seven days.

She is taken from her home
to the funeral site.

According to tradition,

close relatives accompany the coffin
under a scarlet cloth.

It's taken the family two years
to save the money for her funeral.

During that time she was embalmed,

kept in the family home
and called 'the sick one'.

Only today
has she finally been declared dead.

Her body is given a position
of honour

and will preside over a series
of rituals and sacrifices.

Buffaloes are highly-prized
in Torajan culture.

They believe that the dead
travel to the land of souls

on the backs of sacrificed buffaloes.

After the sacrifices
comes the funeral.

This is not a sad occasion.

For Torajans, dying just means
passing to another plane of existence

and is a natural part of life.

Their destination is a huge
limestone boulder near the village.

Over the centuries
a honeycomb of tombs

has been carved into the rock.

The body is placed in headfirst

to speed the soul
on its way to the afterlife.

The wealthiest
and most prestigious people

are given the highest tombs.

This makes it tough
for those carrying the deceased

but up here there's more protection
from grave robbers.

There is one final step
in the process.

An effigy of the deceased is made.

These figures, known as 'tau tau',

are reverentially placed in galleries
carved into the limestone cliff.

The wooden statues
are often carefully carved

to resemble the deceased.

Once the ceremony is over
and the body has been interred,

the soul of the deceased
can finally begin its journey

to the land of the dead.

Everything possible has been done

to prepare it
for a comfortable eternity.

Over the centuries,

the islands of Indonesia
have been shaped

by tumultuous geological upheavals,

often with tragic results.

In late August 1883,

lighthouse keepers
at the southern tip of Sumatra

witnessed one of history's
most destructive natural disasters -

Mount Krakatau, a volcano between
Sumatra and Java, had erupted.

Four gigantic explosions were heard
as far away as Perth

and hurled 45 cubic kilometres
of debris into the atmosphere.

Ash fell up to thousands
of kilometres away.

The eruption also generated
a tsunami.

At least 36,000 people were killed.

Over a century later,
on 26 December 2004,

250 kilometres off the coast of Aceh,
Sumatra's northernmost province...

..30 kilometres
below the Earth's crust,

a slab of rock
1,000 kilometres long shifted,

raising the ocean's floor
by several metres.

The earthquake that followed
was 23,000 times more powerful

than the Hiroshima bomb and destroyed
towns and villages across Aceh.

But worse was to come.

The earthquake also displaced
30 cubic kilometres of water.

This created a massive tsunami which
raced towards the coast of Aceh.

By the time it made landfall

the tsunami was the height
of a 10-storey building.

Waves swept more than
three kilometres inland,

laying waste to the narrow strip
of land

between the sea and the mountains.

The 2004 earthquake and tsunami
killed almost 170,000 people

in Indonesia alone.

After more than a decade
of redevelopment

the landscape still bears the scars
of the disaster.

But many of the survivors
have regained their livelihoods.

The giant wave was devastating
to local fishermen

but they've bounced back.

Houses, roads, bridges and ports
have been rebuilt.

Sumatra is vital
to the Indonesian economy.

It produces tin, oil,
natural gas, gold...

..timber, coffee, tea and palm oil,

and accounts for over half
of Indonesia's export income.

But prosperity has come at a cost.

Today Sumatra's rainforests are among
the most threatened on the planet

with vast regions given over
to the cultivation of oil palms.

The island has lost half
its rainforest in the last 30 years.

Sumatra's forests are among the most
biologically diverse on Earth.

They're home to a huge variety
of fauna and flora,

including many species
found nowhere else on Earth.

(BIRDS CAW)

Here at the southern tip
of the island

is some of Sumatra's
last lowland forest.

Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation
is a privately managed oasis

where an army of rangers is employed
to combat poachers.

Some wildlife is coming back.

Today Tambling has the highest
density of tigers in South-East Asia.

But the threat of extinction remains.

More than 150 years ago

an English naturalist made
an epic journey

across the region
he called the Malay Archipelago.

His name was Alfred Russel Wallace.

Wallace spent eight years here,

collecting an astonishing diversity
of animals,

from insects to birds to orangutans,

all in the name of science.

Today, along with Charles Darwin,

he's celebrated as the co-discoverer
of the theory of evolution.

Wallace is best known
as the man who identified

a distinctive feature
of the archipelago.

The flora and fauna
in Sumatra and Java are similar

to those in mainland Asia

but very different to those
in the eastern islands

which are home to kangaroos.

Scientists now know
that a deep ocean trench

between the islands of Bali
and Lombok has helped create

these two different eco zones.

This boundary is known
as the Wallace Line.

There has been some debate as
to where exactly to draw this line.

But the Nusa Tenggara archipelago
clearly demonstrates

the dramatic difference
between the two regions.

The islands of Komodo National Park
are part of the Nusa Tenggara group

and were created by the movement of
tectonic plates 50 million years ago.

The islands are a mysterious world
of natural one-offs,

including the world's largest lizard.

These komodo dragons,

three metre monsters with
a savage bite and poisonous saliva,

exist nowhere else on the planet.

Attacks on humans are rare
but Komodo dragons can be deadly.

Currents from the Savu Sea
flow between these islands,

bearing with them the nutrients

that sustain
a spectacular marine community.

These manta rays are considered
an endangered species

but here they thrive.

Giant wings propel them serenely
through their crystal world.

Small mouth fins scoop up
the plankton they feed on.

Further east, scientists have made
a fascinating discovery

that takes us deeper into the story
of human evolution.

The island of Flores
is a mountainous Eden

and another refuge
of cultural diversity.

Here the Manggarai people
have created

remarkable spider web rice paddies.

At the centre of each web
is a sacred space known as a 'lodok'.

During planting and harvesting,
farmers hold ceremonies here

to celebrate the union
of male and female,

and Heaven and Earth.

(RHYTHMIC DRUMMING)

At the end of the rice harvest,

the Manggarai hold
an important festival.

The highlight is the ritual 'caci'
or 'whip fight'.

Adversaries from rival villages
dual for many hours

dressed in symbolic costumes.

(WHIP WHOOSHES AND CRACKS)

Being hit on the back is said
to increase the chance

of a good harvest.

(WHIP WHOOSHES AND CRACKS)

The roots of these customs
lie deep in the past.

But Flores has yielded human relics
that are even older.

Local legends tell
of tiny humanoid creatures

with voracious appetites
who kidnapped children.

They were called Ebu Gogo,

'the grandmother
who eats everything'.

But were the Ebu Gogo just a myth?

In 2003, deep inside this cave
known as Liang Bua,

Indonesian and Australian
archaeologists made a find

that shattered conventional ideas
about human evolution.

The archaeologists unearthed
the fossilised remains

of a human species
unknown to science.

They lived 50,000 years ago
and were only a metre tall.

They made simple stone tools
and had tiny brains,

just one third the size of ours.

Science labelled them
Homo floresiensis

but the world knows them as hobbits.

When Homo sapiens arrived
on the island,

groups of Homo floresiensis may still
have been living there.

If the two species
lived alongside each other

competing for resources,

the hobbits could have been pushed
deep into the island's interior

and then vanished into legend.

Perhaps the local folk tales
are evidence

of this period of coexistence.

Beyond Flores, we travel even further
into our evolutionary past.

On the far eastern edge of Indonesia
is Raja Ampat,

over 1,500 islands
off the western tip of Papua.

Over millions of years the elements
have sculpted limestone outcrops

into a myriad of shapes.

There's even a touch of romance.

This rocky outcrop is
known as Wedding Cake Rock.

A spectacular array of corals
flourish in this labyrinth.

75% of the world's coral species
are found here.

The environment is pristine for now.

In this maze of islands,
boats are the only way to get around.

At the foot of this limestone cliff
are caves and overhangs.

Here you can find rock art
that's thousands of years old.

There are hundreds of ochre paintings
of dolphins, turtles and bats.

These outlines of human hands are
reminiscent of Australian rock art.

Another feature of Raja Ampat
is the saltwater lakes

which are fed by fissures
in the limestone.

This lake is home to thousands
of large stingless jellyfish.

These beautiful creatures offer us
a glimpse

into origins of life on Earth.

The ancestors of the jellyfish
in these saltwater lakes

first appeared on Earth
500 million years ago.

Indonesia,
a nation of 17,000 islands...

..a land of menacing volcanoes...

..impenetrable jungle
and fertile valleys...

..home to hundreds of ethnic groups
with unique cultures,

customs and traditions.

(WHIP WHOOSHES AND CRACKS)

It's given rise to
mighty civilisations and monuments.

Indonesia's landscapes
have been shaped

by unpredictable
and violent natural forces

as well as by human activity.

As Indonesia faces the future,

it needs to protect
the cultural and natural diversity

of the most remarkable archipelago
on the planet.

Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2019