A Journey to Rumah Tuo Rantau Panjang, Legacy of the Batin People

TheIndonesia.co - Tucked away in the heart of Merangin Regency, Jambi Province, Rumah Tuo Rantau Panjang stands as a silent witness to centuries of cultural evolution. From ancient animist beliefs to the embrace of Islam, this traditional stilt house has borne witness to the spiritual and social transformation of the Batin people, one of the oldest indigenous communities in Sumatra.

A Pilgrimage Through Time and Distance

According to Antara News Agency, the journey to this heritage site is a pilgrimage in itself. From Jambi City, it takes six hours and nine minutes by motor vehicle to cover the 278-kilometer stretch to Dusun Rantau Panjang, Tabir District. Alternatively, from Bungo Airport, visitors can take a 58.3-kilometer motorbike ride along the Trans-Sumatra route, arriving in just over an hour.

As you approach the village, surrounded by lush green landscapes and framed by the Semayo River, Rumah Tuo reveals itself not as a museum piece, but a living heritage still embedded in the daily life of its people.

A Home, a Center of Culture, a Symbol of Survival

Built in 1330 AD by Poyang Depati and 19 families fleeing conflict from the prosperous village of Koto Rayo, Rumah Tuo became the heart of a new settlement. These early settlers established Kampung Baruh, where Rumah Tuo still stands.

The house wasn't just a residence. It served as a community center, a venue for rituals, ceremonies, and cultural performances. Even today, it draws visitors from across Indonesia—especially students from Java—as well as foreign tourists from Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

One of the most celebrated traditions still held here is the end-of-Ramadan ceremony on the 7th of Syawal, featuring pantun recitations, dances, and pencak silat performances.

Architecture That Breathes with Meaning

The house is a masterpiece of traditional architecture, designed with both function and philosophy in mind. Built on stilts, the structure is made primarily of kulim wood and meranti, chosen for their durability. To preserve the house, caretakers apply ipuh tree sap, clove, and tobacco oil, a traditional method to ward off pests and decay.

Exterior Highlights:

• The roof is saddle-shaped, evoking the form of a boat, with upturned ends. While now made of metal sheeting, it was once layered with natural ijuk fibers.
• The front gable (lisplank) features a decorative motif called “tanduk kambing” (goat horns), although the western end has weathered away.
• The windows, in butterfly-style shutters, open outward on the south, east, and west sides, providing ventilation and light.
• The main entrance door, known as Pintu Gedang, opens upward and inward, symbolizing openness and communal oversight.

Interior Layout:

• Masinding (Veranda Room): The formal space for receiving guests during community meetings, bordered by low wooden beams called bendul jati.
• Central Room: Reserved for women and young girls during rituals, also used by elders (tua tengganai) to deliberate on village matters.
• Balai Melintang: The ceremonial heart of the house, raised higher than other rooms, and reserved for noble guests, traditional leaders, and respected elders. Bendul beams here are intricately carved with floral and fauna motifs, possibly representing elephant heads.
• Gaho Room: Historically used as a kitchen and water storage space. A suspended shelf (paho) holds cooking utensils and fishing gear.
• Menalam Room: A storage space for food, ceramics, and also serves as a family dining area.
• Menalam Chamber: A private bedroom for young girls, closed off with wooden doors and windows. Its layout was briefly altered in history but later restored to its original design.

Underneath the House (Kolong):

The stilted understructure serves practical and communal purposes—storage for firewood and rice pounders, and a play area for children.

An ancient wooden bedug (drum) still hangs here, used to summon villagers during emergencies or rituals.

Cultural Legacy and Symbolic Architecture

Rumah Tuo is built on 24 columns, made up of 12 primary pillars (saka guru) and 12 supporting ones (saka rawa), arranged in six rows of four. Most are original, though three have been replaced due to soil erosion that has caused some foundations to tilt.

The house is adorned with traditional floral motifs, including tanjung blossoms, mangosteen stems, cempaka, citrus flowers, and curling vines. These designs are etched into beams and room dividers, serving both decorative and symbolic purposes.

Inside and out, the house breathes history, tradition, and resilience. Every corner tells a story—not just of a house, but of a people who adapted, survived, and passed on their identity through wood, song, ritual, and memory.

If you're looking for a journey that's as enriching as it is scenic, Rumah Tuo Rantau Panjang offers more than just architecture—it offers a homecoming into Indonesia’s living heritage.