Bukittinggi, Sumatera - Deep In The Minang Heartland, Bukittinggi, Indonesia

One word that greatly sums up the interior highlands of Western Sumatera, Indonesia. It’s not just the coexistence between human and nature striking harmonic balance but the strict adherence of the Minang people to their “Adat Perpatih,” centuries-old customs that are almost exclusively matrilineal, is something to be respected.

This place is both blessed and cursed - where its inhabitants can reap bountiful harvests all year long as long as the volcanoes decide not erupt and wipe out an entire civilization. Existential threats aside, Bukittinggi and its surrounding villages are a treasure trove of the Minang culture, from hand-woven songket to the archipelago-famous dishes of nasi padang.

The bull-horned roof of the Rumah Gadang, meaning “big house,” is as iconic as you can get when it comes to Minang architecture.

The outrageously pointed tops can be traced back to the origin of the wods “minang” (victorious) and “kabau” (buffalo) where a local supposedly ingeniously won a bull-fight against a prince to settle a territorial dispute. A fine specimen of the Rumah Gadang is found at the town of Padangpanjang, 20 km out of Bukittinggi.

This home doubles up as a cultural repository for the region, where the guide explains how these houses are built without using a single nail but are remarkably earthquake-proof and why rice is kept in a separate building with detachable stairs. The center also offers traditional costumes to dress up in and usage of the gorgeous house as a photo shoot backdrop. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).