Djuanda Forest Park, Urban forest park in Bandung, Indonesia.
Djuanda Forest Park is a wooded area covering 590 hectares in the hills north of Bandung, with pine groves, tropical secondary forest, and a winding river valley. The park sits on volcanic slopes and offers trails that pass through different vegetation zones.
The area was first protected in 1912 as the 590-hectare Pulosari Protection Forest, when the Dutch began the water tunnel now called Gua Belanda. In 1965 Governor Mashudi opened a recreation park here and named it after Djuanda Kartawidjaja, Indonesia's 10th prime minister, who died in 1963. Presidential Decree No. 3 of 1985 made it Indonesia's first grand forest park, inaugurated on 14 January 1985, Djuanda's birthday.
The park's name honours Djuanda Kartawidjaja, the 10th Prime Minister of Indonesia, who died in 1963; it was inaugurated under his name on 14 January 1985, his birthday. Near the entrance, Gua Belanda is a man-made tunnel dug in 1901 to serve a hydroelectric plant on the Cikapundung, later fitted with halls and corridors in 1918. About 300 metres on, Gua Jepang was built by Japanese military in 1942 as barracks and shelter, with 18 bunkers used for lookout, firing, meetings, storage and cooking.
The area is accessible through two entrances at Maribaya or Dago, with admission at 50,000 rupiah for international visitors and 12,000 rupiah for locals. The trails are uneven and require sturdy footwear, especially during the rainy season from November to March.
Two old tunnel systems run through the forest: Gua Belanda from Dutch colonial times in 1918 and Gua Jepang from the Japanese occupation. The tunnels served as military facilities, prison, and weapons storage and are now open to visitors.
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