Selamat Datang Monument (Selamat Datang is Indonesian for “Welcome”), also known as the Monumen Bunderan HI, is a monument located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Completed in 1962, Selamat Datang Monument is one of the historic landmarks of Jakarta.

History and design

During the 1960s, President Sukarno ordered several constructions and city beautification projects for the preparation of the Asian Games IV. This includes the construction of the Ikada Sport Complex (in what is now Gelora Bung Karno Sport Complex) and several statues, including the Selamat Datang Monument, designated as Tugu Selamat Datang.

The design of the statue was sketched by Henk Ngantung, at that time the vice governor of Jakarta. The construction of the statue was done by Indonesian sculptor Edhi Sunarso. The statue depicts two bronze statues of a man and a woman, waving in a welcoming gesture. The woman is shown holding a flower bouquet in her left hand. The height of the figures are five metres from head to toe, or seven metres from the tip of the raised arm to toe. The two figures stand atop a pedestal. In total, the monument is about thirty meters above the ground. Selamat Datang Monument symbolizes the openness of the Indonesian nation to welcome the visitors of the Asian Games IV.

The construction of the statue was started on August 17, 1961. During the construction of the statue, Edhi Sunarso was visited by Sukarno, US Ambassador to Indonesia Howard P. Jones, and other ministers in his studio.

Location: Jalan Bundaran HI, Tanah Abang, Jakarta 10350, Indonesia

Coordinates: 6°11′41.9244″S 106°49′22.9764″ECoordinates: 6°11′41.9244″S 106°49′22.9764″E

Built: August 17, 1961

Architect: Henk Ngantung, Edhi Sunarso

Source: Wikipedia