I’ve enjoyed following the PBS photo journalists as they investigate the impact of Covid-19 on communities and tourism in Central Java.
Today the team journeyed to the Dieng Plateau. Dieng (Dihyang) is a mountainous area. Ancient Javanese believed that ancestors and gods resided in these high places. The name "Dihyang" comes from Old Javanese: di means "place" and hyang means "ancestor" or "gods", literally Dihyang means "place of the ancestors".
The Dihyang area was used by the ancient Javanese as a center for worship. Local people generally call this area by the popular name "land above the clouds", because the area is surrounded by clouds or mist from the mountains.
Dieng's misty location almost 2,093 m above sea level, its poisonous effusions and sulphur-coloured lakes make it a particularly auspicious place for religious tribute.