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As Batam was merely a fishing villages some 30 years ago, we cannot expect it to have great old monuments, artefacts or museums as places with hundreds or even thousnds of years of history. But we could find some newly built monuments with great charisma within the island.
Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya
The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist temple at Batam Centre is one of the example of those great modern day monuments. It’s massive and beautiful figure surely amazes people who are viewing it. The building was opened in 1999 and still undergone some development. It is regarded as one of the biggest temple ever built in South Asia.
The temple was built by the Chinese Community in Batam, which the concept was said to be revealed in a series of visions received by the leaders. Now, thousands of Buddhists from all over Indonesia and within the region come to Batam to visit the temple, pray and study in it. The temple itself is open to the public and visitors are warmly welcomed. Another temple worth visiting is the Toa Pek Kong Chinese Temple in Nagoya.
Dewi Kuong Im Monument
There is another Buddhist monument taking place in Batam, the Dewi Kuong Im monument, the Buddhist goddess of prosperity. However, the monument is said to be controversial, as it overlooks the ocean where across the ocean there is Singapore, giving an expression that the monument is built to give Singapore the prosperity by te goddes, but not to Batam. The statue itself also have some problems with the local authorities, because it stands 26 metres and that means it is higher than the Garuda Nusantara Monument in Hang Nadim International Airport. But nonetheless, it is a breathtaking monument worth visiting.
Another strikingly beautiful place of worship is the Mosque that takes pride of place by the waterfront at Batam Centre. However, all Mosques are not open to non-Muslim visitors.
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