Bonjol Equator Monument
Tugu Khatulistiwa Bonjol
An equator-themed park in Bonjol town, Pasaman Regency, beside the Trans-Sumatra Highway, centered on a blue globe-shaped monument.
The monument stands in Bonjol town, Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra, where the equator crosses the Trans-Sumatra Highway (Bukittinggi–Lubuk Sikaping section). At the center of the Equator Park is a pale blue spherical monument, along with a globe sculpture labeled “EQUATOR,” a replica of a Minangkabau traditional longhouse (rumah gadang), and a footbridge spanning the highway with the sign “You are crossing the Equator.” Opposite the monument is the Tuanku Imam Bonjol Museum. Bonjol was the stronghold of Tuanku Imam Bonjol, the national hero who resisted the Dutch in the Padri War of the 19th century, so it is worth a stop. Around noon during the spring and autumn equinoxes, when the sun passes directly overhead, you can try the “standing objects cast no shadow” experiment. The site is small and usually a stop of about half an hour on the way north from Bukittinggi to Lake Toba. It is about 1.5 hours’ drive from Bukittinggi and 3–4 hours from Padang. Maintenance varies, and some visitors have reported damaged sculptures.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Puncak Lawang
- Batang Palupuh Rafflesia Reserve
- Kelok 44
- Lake Maninjau
- Fort de Kock & Limpapeh Bridge
- Kinantan Zoo & Rumah Adat Baanjuang Museum
- Pasar Atas
- Bung Hatta Birth House