Rumah Batik Ahok
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama's childhood home in Gantung, now a batik gallery and workshop. The motifs are distinctly Belitung: simpor leaves, swamp lotus, and fishing boats.
On a small lane in the town of Gantung, there is a white wooden stilt house that looks ordinary. Nothing stands out. But this is where Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, later known as Ahok, spent his childhood. His family was part of the Chinese-Belitung community that has lived on this island for generations. Today, the house has a second life: as a batik gallery and workshop.
Local artisans come here every day. They make hand-drawn and stamped batik with motifs you will not find in Java. The patterns are freer and brighter: the simpor leaf, Belitung's endemic plant, swamp lotus flowers, fish, traditional boats. The colors are different too. Brighter: sea blue, leaf green, butter yellow. You can watch the whole process from start to finish, from melting the wax to color dyeing. If you are interested, you can also try it yourself. What you bring home is not just fabric. It is a story about a tradition that is learning to take care of itself.