On October 2, 2009, UNESCO recognized Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. That is why this date is now celebrated as National Batik Day in Indonesia. On this day, Indonesian people (especially government officials, employees of state-owned enterprises, and students) are strongly encouraged to wear batik.
Although many of the archipelago's neighbouring nations like Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines also produce batik, Indonesia is the longest-producing nation within Southeast Asia in recorded history.
Besides being a symbolic icon to Indonesians, batik is also an important source of income for the local communities. Approximately 37 percent of Indonesia’s total batik export is shipped to the US – the largest importer of Indonesian batik – followed by South Korea, Japan, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands. The value of total batik exports has grown to 340 million dollars in 2016. In the next five years, the batik industry is expected to see a 300 percent growth – or 1.5 billion dollars – in the total value of batik exports. According to data obtained from the Indonesian Ministry of Industry, there are about 50,000 batik-producing companies all over Indonesia while 101 of them are SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
Each state in Indonesia has its own unique form of batikIn Central Java, batik usually comes in the form of subdued colours and stylised imagery. Meanwhile in southern Sulawesi, its batik is known for its brightly-coloured, naturalistic figures. Colours and designs are used to express an individual's creativity and spirituality beliefs.
Source:
https://theaseanpost.com/article/celebrating-indonesias-cultural-heritage-batik
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