Equator Monument
Tugu Khatulistiwa
A monument straddling the equator on the northern outskirts of Pontianak. On the equinoxes, a vertical pole casts no shadow at noon, making it the city's top landmark.
The Equator Monument was first erected in 1928 by a Dutch geographic expedition. The original, four ironwood pillars supporting an arrow and a ring, is preserved inside a domed exhibition hall. Outside stands a replica built in 1991 and enlarged five times. Inside, there is an exhibition about the equator and a line marked on the ground, so visitors can pose with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere, and receive an equator-visit certificate. Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, there is a 'No-Shadow Day' event, when objects cast no shadow at noon as the sun passes directly overhead. Admission is free, and it is open roughly 08:00–16:00. The monument is on the north bank of the Kapuas River, about 20 minutes by taxi from the city centre.
Opening hours
Daily, roughly 08:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Vihara Bodhisatva Karaniya Metta
- Kapuas Waterfront & Taman Alun Kapuas
- Jami Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Mosque
- Kadriah Palace
- Jalan Gajah Mada Culinary Street
- Mujahidin Grand Mosque
- Rumah Melayu
- Rumah Radakng