Candirejo Village, Indonesia

Introduction to Candirejo Village

Koperasi Desa Wisata Candirejo Office is located at Candirejo Village Government Complex (Candirejo Village Hall), Candirejo Highway, Sangen Candirejo Borobudur Magelang Central Java-56553. 

According to “tutur – tinular” (hereditary word), the name Candirejo comes from the word Candighra. Over time, there was a change in the word or mention, Candighra then changed to Candirga and then changed again to Candirja, and in the end like the name of the village today, namely Candirejo. When described, the word Candi (Javanese) means “stone” in Indonesian, and in fact, half of the area of Candirejo village is a hilly area that is included in the Menoreh mountain area which is a former volcano. The word Rejo itself means “fertile” and this is a symbol of the fertility of the Land of the Candirejo plain, although it is a dry land.
The existence of the stone is also symbolized in several place names associated with local myths about rocks such as Watu Kendhil, Watu Ambeng, Watu Dandang, and Watu Klenthing located in the Butuh sub village. Watu Tambak, Watu Tumpuk, Watu Asin, Watu Cekathak located in Sangen and Kaliduren Subvillage. So the word Candirejo can be interpreted as an area with many rocks but fertile.

Candirejo village is located 3 km southeast of the center of world civilization Borobudur Temple which can be reached by andong (local transportation) while enjoying the natural beauty of Menoreh Hill which illustrates the viscosity of the typical rural atmosphere.

Candirejo village has an area of 366.25 Ha with a total of 1,416 households (kepala keluarga) and a population of 4,321 people who are administratively divided into 15 sub-villages and separated by two rivers (Sileng and Progo rivers). 8 sub-villages are on the slopes of the menorah, and 7 sub-villages are plains in the northern part which is traversed by the pogo River. In Candirejo there are 4 kindergartens, 3 elementary schools, and 1 junior high school.

Candirejo village is located at an altitude of 100 to 850 ASL with a general configuration of hilly terrain and plains with an average rainfall of 2468 mm, and in a certain time cycle, there is a long drought so residents have difficulty finding water.

Candirejo residents have a conducive, dynamic, and active nature. Conducive in the sense that community members always uphold togetherness, live in harmony, mutual cooperation with fellow citizens, and put forward consensus in decision-making. Dynamic in the sense of always implementing the best of every village program that provides more benefits to the community. Active in the sense of implementing programs that have become a common agreement and always innovative and always proactive in responding to it.

Starting from the planning that was motorized by the village government by forming working groups both at the village level and the hamlet level in order to socialize to the public the concept of Candirejo village as a tourist village in 1997. In addition to socialization, this Working Group is tasked with mapping all the potential that is owned in each hamlet in Candirejo village in the form of nature /landscape, Cultural Arts, Crafts, and culinary.

The Magelang Regency Government gave a positive response by making Candirejo Village a Pilot project of tourist villages in Magelang Regency on May 31, 1999, through Magelang Regent Decree No. 556 / 1258 / 19/ 1999 set to be “tourism assisted Village Magelang Regency". From 1999 to 2003, the Candirejo village government assisted by working groups both at the village level and the hamlet level focused more on fostering and strengthening tourism actors. Starting from Traditional Arts, Home Stay, Local Transportation, Local Guides, Home industry, Catering etc.

In the development and strengthening of the group from 2001 to 2003 received assistance from ISI Yogyakarta, Patra Pala Foundation and JICA as donors for strengthening tourism actors. Then on April 19, 2003, Candirejo village was inaugurated as a tourist village by Mr. I Gede Ardika as Minister of Tourism and culture of the Republic of Indonesia.

In the same year, the Candirejo Tourism Village Cooperative was formed as the Candirejo Village Tourism Management Agency by the Candirejo village government together with community leaders who were members of the Working Group. The decision was reinforced by Village Decree No.04 / KEPDES/05 / 2003 which mentions "Tourism Village Manager in Candirejo village in the form of Koperasi Desa Wisata Candirejo".

Tourism activities in Candirejo Tourism Village are fully managed by Candirejo Tourism Village Cooperative which is one of the village-owned enterprises (BUMDES) in the form of Cooperatives. And reinforced with Perdes No. 3 in the year 2003 on the development and management of Candirejo Tourism Village Borobudur District Magelang regency.

The management of the Candirejo Tourism Village Cooperative is five people, assisted by three employees and supervised by a three-person Supervisory Agency.