The Chicken Church in Java: Everything you Need to Know!

Imagine for a moment that you have a dream. In that dream, you see an oversized pure-white dove perched on a hill. You take a mental note but don’t make a lot of it.

A week later in real life, you travel to another village and see the same hill as from your dream!

Of course, it’s a sign from God, you think, so you build a temple on this hill.

If you think that’s bonkers, consider that it is precisely what happened to Daniel Alamsjah, the architect of the bizarre Chicken Church in Central Java, Indonesia.

Something doesn’t quite add up, you say. Wasn’t it a dove?

I find it quite funny that the Chicken Church is neither a chicken nor a church. It’s hard to define what it is exactly. I think even Mr. Alamsjah isn’t entirely sure.

This chicken-shaped temple was abandoned for a decade before any efforts were put into its restoration and preservation. Today it is still only half-finished, functioning as a museum in the jungles close to Borobudur.

The Story of the Chicken Church, Indonesia

The Chicken Church is not something ancient from time immemorial, nor a colonial building from the Dutch period. Rather, it’s a contemporary oddity with a fascinating story.

The Dream

Daniel Alamsjah was 45 years old when he got that dream in 1988 (see the introduction above). He’s a Christian in a nation predominantly Muslim.

A week after his dream, at the end of Ramadan, Alamsjah traveled to his wife’s hometown of Magelang. A local man invited Alamsjah to watch the sunrise over Borobudur from Bukit Rhema- something that locals and tourists do to this day.

Bukit Rhema is a hill surrounded by what the Javanese believe are holy mountains.

Upon seeing Bukit Rhema, Alamsjah immediately recalled his dream, because it was that same hill with the same view!

Building

Daniel Alamsjah bought the land on top of Bukih Rhema and started building. He designed the temple himself and oversaw the construction.

He said he was building “a temple for all nations” prompted by a Bible verse he heard in his dream:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Isaiah 2:2

Building started in 1992 and was mired in controversies of all sorts.

For starters, it was supposed to be dove-shaped, but when Alamsjah decided to put a crown on top of the dove’s head (for holiness, you know, because nothing screams “I’m holy” like a crown, i.e. the symbol of power. But I digress) it immediately transformed into a rooster/chicken in the eyes of onlookers. I mean, look at it, it’s not anything like a dove!

Then there were the complaints that it was a church in a Muslim neighborhood.

“It’s God’s Temple for all nations”, Alamsjah would say, but him being Christian and all meant nobody would believe it. The building had an altar and the layout of a church too.

8 years after construction had started, his money ended. The dove/chicken/church/temple/house of prayer was nowhere near finished.

God may compel you to build a temple in his name and for all nations, but will not give you the funds for it.

Abandonment

In the early 2000s, the Chicken Church (or Gereja Ayam, as it is called in Indonesian) stood abandoned.

Quarter-finished and more creepy than holy, Alamsjah creation was a popular hangout spot for punks, trouble-makers, and aspiring graffiti artists.

But a church that looks like a chicken attracts attention far and wide. Backpackers have a way of finding out about weird places like Gereja Ayam. Local tourists would also hop over to explore the abandoned unfinished temple.

So Alamsjah did what any businessman would do – he started charging entrance fees.

Revival

And then came the big turning moment. Bukit Rhema and Gereja Ayam were one of the places where the sequel to the hit Indonesian romantic drama movie Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What’s Up With Love”) was shot.

Popularity exploded overnight.

Alamsjah started to make some grand buck (ahem, rupiah) and had enough money to continue with his vision.

God really does work in mysterious ways.

Alamsjah invested in renovating his passion project. New tiles, new windows, new exhibition panels, new info boards, a new paved road leading up to the Temple, new prayer rooms for different religions in the underground chambers, and a new cafe in the rear of the dove/chicken.

Today, the Chicken Church is still unfinished but is a popular attraction and museum.

What is the Chicken Church today?

The Chicken Church operates as a museum with an entrance fee of 25.000 IDR / 1.7$.

You can book a ticket online (it’s sometimes even cheaper than on-site!)

It’s desperately trying to rebrand under the name Bukit Rhema, a House of Prayer for All Nations, but let’s be honest, everyone will keep calling it the Chicken Church. Sorry, Mr. Alamsjah.

In the main hall, there’s an exhibition following the history of the construction of the temple.

In the front part of the chicken’s body are two floors of exhibitions. On the first floor, you can see pictures warning of the dangers of drugs in the comic-book-style graphics typical for Indonesian street art.

On the second floor, there are pictures of the wedding ceremonial clothes of people from all regions of Indonesia, from Sumatra to Papua.

On the third floor, is a waiting area and a staircase leading to the top of the chicken’s head, i.e. the crown and the viewpoint. Only 5 people are allowed at any one time and only for 3 minutes.

On the other end, in the chicken’s butt, is the cafe. Every ticket doubles down as a free snack voucher.

The snack is Latela Gombong Cassava, basically fried cassava. Not the best to be honest, but at least it’s free. Here’s a list of amazing Indonesian street food snacks to try.

In the underground chambers of the Chicken Church, you can find the prayer chambers for different religions (proving it’s a multifaith temple, not a church), some more pictures and stories about the place’s history

There’s also the Wall of Hope where visitors write their dreams on a piece of paper and pin them.

Can you watch the sunrise at the Chicken Church?

No, you cannot watch the sunrise from the Chicken Church on Bukit Rhema because it opens at 7:00, which is at least an hour after sunrise.

Read where and how you can watch the sunrise at Borobudur.

How to get to Gereja Ayam, the Chicken Church

Bukit Rhema Gereja Ayam is located about 30 minutes by car/scooter from Magelang or around 1 hour from Yogyakarta.

By Scooter

The easiest way to get there is to rent a scooter from Yogyakarta where you’d most probably be staying. Rent a scooter from in front of Lempuyangan Station (or ask your hostel). Expect to pay around 100.000- 150.000 IDR (6-10$) for a one-day rental.

By Public Transport

To reach the Chicken Church by public transportation from Yogyakarta, you must first get to Jombor Terminal. There, take a bus to Borobudur. Their frequency is on average once per hour. This bus costs 30.000 IDR / 2$.

Then take a Grab/GoJek to Gereja Ayam.

When you reach the Chicken Church’s parking area you will be offered a severely overpriced shuttle to take you up the hill. Yes, it’s a steep hill, but it’s less than 200 meters and 15.000 IDR / 1$ is way too much for that service.

By Tour

The Chicken Church is very near the biggest Buddhist temple in the world – Borobudur – so it makes sense to combine them on a day trip.

Take a look at these 2 tours:

1. Everything Yogyakarta has to offer: Borobudur, Prambanan, Chicken Church, Merapi Jeep tour, and more.
2. Borobudur Sunrise, Mendut Temple, and Chicken Church: An awesome day trip combination.