The beautiful Belitung Island, off the eastern coast of Sumatra was once known only as Billiton, the top producer of tin and tin mining in the world. But with the decline of this commodity, interest in the island gradually waned.
However, one fascinating book, which was later made into a movie threw back the spotlight on this island with all its beauty. The book was “LaskarPelangi†or “The Rainbow Troop†and its author, Andrea Hirata, a writer born and raised on Belitung. Today, a museum named the Andrea Hirata’s Museum of Words stands as an inspirational window for all, that it is possible to achieve our dreams despite many drawbacks, just as the novel has taught us.
Located on Jalan Laskar Pelangi No.7, in the town of Gantung, East Belitung, in the ...