Jakarta, IO – History of colonialism in Indonesia apparently do not only take the form of buildings with a distinctive European architectural style. In Aceh, there is a village whose residents have blue eyes like Europeans in general.
This unique village is nicknamed ‘Kampung Bule’. The location is in Jaya District, Aceh Jaya regency. However, the residents in Lamno Village are Indonesian citizens and the majority of them are farmers.
According to historical records, the origin of the existence of the “Caucasian” people occurred when Europeans colonized Aceh, especially on the west coast of Aceh, specifically in Lamno.
Like other colonial powers, namely the British and Dutch, the Portuguese also have their own tactics by win over the hearts of the Acehnese people.
Mixing of these two ethnicities also occurred. They intermarried and produced offspring. However, after the Portuguese were defeated and they returned to their country of origin, some of their descendants were left behind in Aceh.
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Apart from their physical feature of blue eyes, the dialect they use every day also has a mixed linguistic elements of Acehnese and Portuguese. Even though it is unique, some residents of Lanmo village had to leave the village to settle in safer areas after the tsunami hit Aceh in 2004, killing many of the villagers.
Today, the blue-eyed village in Aceh has become a famous tourist destination, especially for the curious travelers who wish to see the mixed heritage people and learn about their culture and history. (From multiple sources/un)