VILLAGES, RURAL LIFE AND THE SEA IN INDONESIA

INDONESIAN VILLAGES

Since decentralization of government power in 2000, Indonesia has been considered to consist of 33 provinces, 465 districts/municipalities, 6093 sub-districts and 73,067 villages (Departemen Kesehatan, 2008). In the 1990s, by one count, there were 61,421 villages in Indonesia and they were home to 70 percent of the population. At that time 30 percent owned 71 percent of the land and 46 owned 12 percent of the land. [Source: Culture Shock! Indonesia]

Because Java is so densely populated the rural areas have a urban quality to them. Villages are often only a few hundred meters apart and usually no more than eight kilometers from a town. The only cities with a true urban and industrial character are Jakarta, Surubaja and Semarang.

Most Javanese villages are divided into smaller administrative units, each known as either a rukun kampung (village mutual assistance association) or rukun tetangga (neighborhood association). Rukun is an important Javanese word of Arabic origin describing both “state of being and a mode of action .... a state in which all parties are at least overtly at social peace with one another,” according to anthropologist Robert Jay; it is “a process of sharing through collective action.” [Source: Library of Congress]

Rural Life in Indonesia

Rural population: 41.4 percent of total population (2023, CIA World Factbook). In the 1920s maybe 90 percent of the population worked the land. By the middle of the 20th century peasants were the largest class but there was an expandng class of landless agricultural workers. About 65 percent of Indonesians still lived in rural areas around 2000.

Most rural people live in small villages and are farmers. Some work as craftsmen but this is generally onl part time work. Many people live in traditional houses that are built on stilts. Most rural people now have electricity, pumped water, smart phones and other modern conveniences. Villages usually have some kind of elementary school and are led by chief, village councils or religious men. The community works together to solve problems. [Source: Blackbirch Kid's Visual Reference of the World, Gale Group, Inc., 2001]

On average, peasants in eastern Java spend about 44 hours a week doing farm work. They don’t eat meat other than chicken so mich. More often they eat fish. Food, though, is generally not a problem. Many people have banana, mango and guava trees at the side their home which they pick from at any time. It used to be that if someone had television, cell phone or motorbike they were regarded as pretty well off but now now most people have — or have access to — these things.

Floods, earthquakes, drought, forest fires, and local communal conflicts are threats to rural populations and have resulted in shelter problems for up to one million displaced and homeless people.

Village Life in Indonesia

Across towns and villages, warung—small, family-run food stalls—serve as both convenient eateries and social gathering places. Children often stop by for snacks like large krupuk on their way to school, while adults might enjoy simple meals or drinks such as banana-milk beverages or nasi campur, a dish of rice topped with meat, vegetables, and egg.

Anthropologist Mary Hawkins has argued that while modern forms of contract labor and technology may have eroded the rural communalism implied in earlier senses of rukun, the term remains important as an ideological construct for representing valued aspects of collective life. Australian anthropologist Patrick Guinness has written that the neighborhood is the “largest social grouping, whose members participate in household rituals, gather for rituals, organize working bees, whose youth band together for sports teams and organizations, who maintain arisan (rotating credit associations) and who hold certain property such as funeral equipment.” [Source: Library of Congress]

In rural areas, these groups also sometimes collaborate on harvesting their rice. The rukun associations were rooted in the ideals of the family but became official administrative units during the Japanese occupation in World War II. Many of these local communities organized security arrangements called ronda malam (night watches). Neighbors watched closely for any suspicious activity and participated vigorously in the apprehension of thieves, even exacting immediate justice on their own. The heads of these organizations were elected or appointed officials and were considered representatives of the government.

Village Society in Indonesia

Home villages very important even among people living in cities. Village living is often dictated by established custom and mutual agreement by recognized leaders. The most important social units: 1) immediate family; 2) extened family; village or community.

Village are usually governed by village councils (banjar) and chiefs. In some placed the position of village chief is passed down from males of one generation to the sons of females in the next generation because sons of chiefs were killed by the Dutch .

Village life is often strictly codified. Social control and conformity are enforced on the village level through gossip and shunning. Since everyone knows and gossips about each other, morals tend to be similar. People who stand out or assert themselves as individuals are often regarded with suspicion and hostility by other villagers. People that are different are made fun of.

Villagers help one another in various ways. They help each other harvest their crops and build their homes. If someone has a serious health problem often everyone pitches in at least some money to help pay the medical bills. They also lend a hand taking care of widows and orphans, fighting fires and helping fix farm equipment.

Kampongs

A kampong is traditional Malay water village, where many homes are built on poles over rivers and waterways. They are found in Brunei, Indonesia and, until recently, Singapore, as well as in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the term kampung (sometimes spelling kampong) in the English language has been defined specifically as "a Malay hamlet or village in a Malay-speaking country". In Malaysia, a kampung is determined as a locality with 10,000 or fewer people. [Source: Wikipedia]

A traditional kampong consists of 20 or 30 thatch- or zinc-roofed wooden huts set on stilts around an estuary or river. The residents are typically fishermen or rice farmers. Many of the fishermen caught fish with traps and dried them. Houses were often set among orchard crops, with rice fields outside the village boundaries. Kampongs typically didn’t have any public buildings other than a small mosque.

The term "kampong" is one of many Malay words to have entered common usage in Malaysia and Singapore. Locally, the term is frequently used to refer to either one's hometown or a rural village, depending on context. There are only a few kampong villages remaining in Singapore, mostly on islands surrounding Singapore such as Pulau Ubin. In the past, there were many kampung villages in Singapore but now there aren't many on the mainland.

Kampung Naga

Kampung Naga (accessible from Bandung) is a good place to enjoy the beauty and laid back lifestyle of kampong (small village) life, where many old customs and traditions remain alive. Kampung Naga means. “Dragon village” or “Snake Village.” It is located within Neglasari village, Salawu sub-district, Tasikmalaya, West Java. About 300 people live in the village, which is spread out a half kilometer area. In the area are hundreds of high ebony trees, large green paddy fields and the long Ciwulang river. The air is often and often the only sound is the flowing river.

The houses at Kampung Naga are made of various bamboos and woods and feature bamboo or wooden raised floors. The roofs are made of Nipah leafs, palm leafs or reeds. Among the old customs that are kept alive in this Muslim village is the tradition of homes having to face the north or south, and the mosques, community hall (bale patemon) and paddy granaries having to must face the east or west. For many years number of buildings in the village has remained the same: 111. Ttraditional leaders have refused government electricity and prohibit their residents from using electronic appliances. All daily activities are performed manually.

The inhabitants of Dragon Village are famous for their simple and harmonious life. They are also known for their friendliness. In addition to farming and raising livestock, they also produce handicrafts for souvenirs. The inhabitants still maintain the Hajat Sasih ceremony during Islamic holidays in which they ask for blessings and safety from their ancestors, Eyang Singaparna, and express gratitude to Almighty God for what they have. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday they perform special rituals. During these days, tourists are not allowed to visit the village.

Homestays in village huts are available. Baths are in the cool Ciwulan river. Light is provided by a gas lamp or candles. You are not allowed to listen to your iPod of smart phone. Instead you will have to be content listening to bird song, flowing water, blowing winds, and noises from insects and frogs in the trees and paddies To stay overnight, you have to ask for permission from local officials a few days in advance. To reach Kampung Naga Village from Bandung you can rent a car or take public transportation to Tasikmalaya or Garut.

Boat Culture in Indonesia

Boat imagery plays a powerful role in Indonesian culture, shaping both house design and funerary monuments across many regions. Scholars debate whether certain houses are meant to literally replicate boats or whether their forms are symbolic. What is clear, however, is that many Indonesians trace their ancestry to seafaring peoples who arrived on the archipelago by boat. As a result, vessels became enduring symbols of origin, tied to stories of migration and ancestral homelands. [Source: Jill Forshee, “Culture and Customs of Indonesia”, Greenwood Press, 2006]

Across the wider Austronesian world, boats and houses often share similar spiritual and ritual meanings among maritime communities. This is especially evident among the Sama-Bajau—sometimes called sea nomads—who travel vast distances across the Sulu Sea and into eastern Indonesia. While some still live nomadically at sea, others have settled along coasts, yet they continue to build boats with remarkable skill, preserving deep cultural traditions.

For the Sama-Bajau, boats are more than vessels—they function as homes imbued with spiritual meaning. They follow specific beliefs about orientation within these spaces, such as sleeping crosswise rather than lengthwise, since the dead are buried lengthwise in coffins fashioned from halved boats. Like many Indonesian cultures, they attach importance to directional symbolism, distinguishing between proper and improper orientations in both life and ritual. Their boats even possess a symbolic “navel,” a spiritual center comparable to that of a clan house.

Observers have sometimes portrayed these sea peoples as modern-day buccaneers, navigating waters historically associated with piracy and smuggling. While such depictions can be exaggerated, maritime trade—both formal and informal—has long been part of life in these regions. For many coastal communities, seafaring routes provide essential livelihoods, connecting remote islands and supplying goods that might otherwise be unavailable.

Island Village Life in Indonesia in the 1990s

In 1993, as described by Jill Forshee in “Culture and Customs of Indonesia”, an American anthropologist and her husband traveled by ferry to the remote Indonesian island of Savu. As their small boat approached shore, several local men waded out into the water, surrounding it chest-deep. One by one, passengers climbed onto the men’s shoulders—luggage included—and were carried to land. The couple followed suit, stepping onto the sand with a mix of amusement and unease. At the time, Savu was quiet and isolated, without electricity, flights, or tourism; access came mainly from occasional overnight ships linking it to larger islands. [Source: Jill Forshee, “Culture and Customs of Indonesia”, Greenwood Press, 2006]

Later that day, the couple walked along a white beach, trailed—as is common in rural Indonesia—by a curious group of children. When they stopped, the children gathered in front of them, staring shyly and suppressing laughter. The anthropologist greeted them in Indonesian and asked their ages, prompting confusion. Then a lively young girl stepped forward and confidently asked the familiar questions Indonesian children often pose to foreigners: Where are you from? How many children do you have? What is your job? Are your parents still alive? Do you like Indonesia? But on this occasion, one unexpected question stood out: “Is Mike Tyson still in prison?”

That evening, a generator at their modest hotel—run by descendants of Yemeni traders—roared to life, and the town of Seba gradually lit up. As machines sputtered on across the settlement, the once-quiet streets filled with sound: cassette players, televisions, and conversation. People gathered along the sandy main road, enjoying the cooler air and greeting neighbors. Across from the hotel, beneath a decorated pavilion, a singing contest began. Young Muslim boys performed versions of the call to prayer, covering their ears as they sang, while proud parents watched from folding chairs under bright lights.

The event, organized by a Bugis Muslim community within a largely Protestant island, continued late into the night. It was both a religious expression and a social gathering—two elements that often blend seamlessly in Indonesian life. Local Protestants looked on with interest and respect, reflecting a broader pattern of religious tolerance. Everyday customs were on full display: the predictable hum of generators at dusk, the communal enjoyment of public events, and the polite curiosity shown toward outsiders.

Some aspects remained harder to interpret—such as the practice of carrying passengers ashore, which may have reflected local ideas about status and hospitality. Yet perhaps the most surprising detail was the reach of global culture. Even on this remote island, children were aware of Mike Tyson and his legal troubles. Through media exposure, the boxer had become something of a local figure of interest. As elsewhere in Indonesia, following international boxing matches had become a shared pastime, showing how even distant communities were connected to global popular culture.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources:“Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006; National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Indonesia Tourism website (indonesia.travel), Indonesia government websites, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated April 2026