Mystery of Root Bridge in the Pesisir Selatan District

Standing under the bridge root of Nagari Puluik-Puluik, easy to get a soul mate.
(Photo by Mikhen Desvi)

The root bridge is a unique tourist attraction. Because the bridge is formed from the union of the fabric of the roots of banyan trees to form a bridge. The root bridge is located in the Nagari Puluik-Puluik Bayang Utara Sub-District. This attraction is 65 kilometers from the Padang City, the capital of West Sumatra Province and 24 kilometers from the Painan City, the capital of the Pesisir Selatan District.

As quoted by the Pesisir Selatan District Government Website, Sunday (27/01/2013), the root bridge was first made by a public figure named Pakiah Sokan in 1916, with the objective of linking the two villages are separated by a river current of Batang Tarusan. Condition of the bridge is becoming increasingly stronger, because the magnitude of banyan tree roots that formed it.

The root bridge of Nagari Puluik-Puluik has a length of 25 meters with a width of 1.5 meters. Underneath flow Batang Tarusan has a fairly swift river currents and rapids that challenge in the downstream direction, very suitable for white water rafting. Every holiday, the location is always visited by tourists.

Another uniqueness of the root bridge in Nagari Puluik Puluik is about myth-mate who is trusted by the local community. According to the community, every person who can stand in the middle of the flow Batang Tarusan, just below the root bridge, it will be easy soul mate. In addition to in Nagari Puluik-Puluik, there is also a root bridge again in Nagari Bayang Janiah, also in the Bayang Utara Sub-District.

* The photo in this article is a submission from follower twitter @Pessel_Tourism. Click the name of photographer.

See also in Pesisir Selatan, Negeri Sejuta Pesona #2