Contesting Kampong Batu Lonceng: The Myth, the Culture and the Disaster

Indonesia has unique cultural landscapes heavily influenced by cultural narratives and people’s social perceptions of their natural environment. It manifests in how local people perceive and shape their spatial and built environment. Kampong Batu Lonceng is particularly unique in this case, as this area has strong cultural narratives of disaster, one of which is about Batu Lonceng, a sacred stone that is believed to emit a bell-like sound as an early warning sign in the event of disaster. These narratives are significant to the community since the kampong is located very close to the Lembang Fault, which has long been predicted to move and cause a devastating effect on the area. These narratives are implemented in the morphology, zoning, and land use of the kampong. The people’s adherence to these cultural rules is shown in how the kampong has a relatively similar size and form in a 20-year span, compared to the extensive sprawling in its surrounding area. This paper confirms that even in contemporary times, local culture still plays an essential role in shaping people’s perception of their immediate spatial and built environment.