Citizens of the island, Java, in Indonesia decided to transform their slum district into something truly wonderful. Over 200 building were painted bright colors and the area became known as the rainbow village. Now the entire area is covered in stripes and artwork. There are creative morals on the old walls and the area now bursts with life. Each house is painted with a minimum of three different paint colors to ensure the neighborhood has an amazing rainbow effect. Now the village has become a tourist attraction.
Tons of people have photographed the vibrant village and it has even taken the social media world by storm. Some of the design and paintings on the buildings include psychedelic hearts, human-sized angel wings, dinosaurs, and polka dots. Bright colors are what it’s about. Tourists have taken huge notice to the project and are enjoying the beautiful artwork. The village has now been referred to as an Instagram sensation for the amount of attention it has attracted. The kaleidoscope project has driven tourism numbers successfully.
One visitor said, “It’s because of the unique look of the village. We know this area used to be a slum district but now it looks so beautiful after the colorful makeover. I used to pass this area without any interest but now the colors change everything,” Nihayatun Naqiyah said.
Local businesses have already mentioned the renovation project has helped them. The revamp project has helped the entire community. With more tourists visiting the village, more money is spent there as well. There has been a rise in sales for souvenirs and food according to the Indonesian Building Association. The rainbow village project is helping the community. More renovation projects include a plan to clean the local river and paint more houses in the community.
A resident of the village said, “Obviously this condition is very influential, before we were only the residents of what I can say was a quiet village but now we can call it a dynamic village, because women are empowered and are able to increase their family’s income,” Amanah Suyitno said.
The government invested over $22,000 to revamp the village. The project to renovate Kampung Pelangi was initiated by a 54-year-old junior high school principal and was inspired by at least three other towns in the country with similar painting projects. The principal said he was encouraged to begin the overhaul project after seeing the beauty of Kampung Warna-warni and Kampung Tridi in Malang and then finally Kampung Kali Code in Yogyakarta. He hopes Kampung Pelangi will become the biggest one in Indonesia and biggest attraction in Semarang.
The island of Java is located between Sumatra and Bali. It is home to many volcanos and is the economic center of Indonesia. The largest city is Jakarta, which is also the nation’s capital. It’s home to the National Museum. Java has a multitude of landscapes that include rice paddies, volcanoes, rainforest, and savannah, and there are beaches as well.
Watch the Amazing Transformation Below!
Video Courtesy: YouTube via INSIDER
SOURCES: Reuters and Business Insider
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