The island of Bali has long been characterized in the world as the last "paradise" on earth, a traditional society insulated from the modern world and its vicissitudes, whose inhabitants have exceptional artistic talents and consecrate a considerable amount of time and wealth to sumptuous ceremonies for their own pleasure and that of their gods. Therefore, the relation between the tangible and intangible aspects is a major aspect of the heritage and culture of Bali. The cultural heritage of the island goes way beyond physical structures and landscapes. More than anywhere else on the Indonesian peninsula an intricate connection exists between the built environment, the natural settings and the social and religious life.Bali is a part of the Indonesian archipelago, lying between eight and nine degrees south of the equator. It covers an area of 563.300 hectares including three offshore islands.
The combination of tropical climate, rain and fertile volcanic soil makes Bali an ideal place for crop cultivation; including the growing of rice, coconut, cloves and coffee. These agricultural activities have had a great influence on the Bali landscape, notably in the creation of rice terraces. Over the last thousand years, the people of Bali have extensively modified the landscape of their island, terracing hillsides and digging canals to irrigate the land, enabling them to grow rice.
Rivers run all over Bali and this continuous flow of water sustains the agricultural activity. An elaborate irrigation system has been created to take maximum benefit of the water. In honour of the water, which allows the agricultural activities, the Balinese make offerings at the springs. This irrigation system has also made possible the coordination of cooperatives known as subak. They are a kind of democratic organization in which the farmers whose fields are fed by the same water source, meet regularly to coordinate plantings, to control the distribution of irrigation water and to plan the construction and maintenance of canals and dams, as well as to organize ritual offerings and subak temple festivals.
Rice is the main food component on Bali and the Balinese people believe that rice is a gift of the gods. The first fruits are given back to the gods and complex ceremonies accompany each stage of the growth of the rice plant.
Together with these natural elements, the Hindu religion dominates everyday life on Bali. The Hindu cosmology exists on three levels: the gods above the mountain peaks, the demons below the earth and sea, and the human world in between. The temples are the meeting places between humans and gods. Many rituals seek to maintain this harmony, which also exists in the micro cosmos - the mountains, the sea and the land - and which is visualized everywhere in the layout of villages, homes, and temples and even in the human body. This philosophy of the universe-Tri Hita Karana governs the landscaping of temples and the surrounding environment.
The Balinese village is a tight network of social, religious and economic institutions, of which each person on the island is a part. The Banjar, or village association is an ingenious form of local government unique to Bali. These cooperative associations of neighbours govern daily life in great detail according to local law.
- Jatiluwih Rice Field Terraces, traditional villages in the Tabanan region together with its surrounding rice terraces;
- Taman Ayun, the islands' main temple complex;
- a group of eight (8) temples along the Pakerisan river valley; and
- Pura Besakih temple compound for possible extension.
The cluster sites as an ensemble represent the Bali Cultural Landscape of international significance.
The Jatiluwih Rice Field Terraces explain the distinctive feature of the social and engineering system of Subak, which interrelates with the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana.
Taman Ayun Temple compound is an important representative of ongoing traditions in religion, temple construction, ceremonial activities and social cohesion.
The group of temple complexes, archaeological sites and landscape along the Pakerisan River, reveals historic development of religious and architectural concepts which are clear testimony of the Hindu-Balinese cosmology concept of Tri Hita Karana, the God, human being and natural environment interlinked with each other.
