If in Tanah Minang, West Sumatra, there is the legend of Malin Kundang with a stone footprint resembling a person prostrating in the Air Manis Beach area, in Aceh there is the legend of Tuan Tapa with the famous footprint in the form of a giant footprint 2.5 meters wide and 6 meters long on Mount Lampu. , Mr. Tread. Tapak Tuan is the capital of South Aceh.

This city is located about 500 kilometers from the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh. Tapak Tuan comes from two syllables tapak and Tuan. The name is inseparable from the legend of Tuan Tapa and the existence of giant footprints there. This legend has become folklore pᴀssed down from generation to generation and is believed to this day. Once upon a time there lived a powerful ascetic with a giant body named Syech Tuan Tapa. He often meditated or meditated to get closer to his God on a hill which is now called Mount Tuan in Tapak Tuan. Once, a pair of dragons from mainland China found a human baby girl with a mole on her stomach floating alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean. They rescued the baby and cared for it until it grew into a daughter on the hill which is now called Mount Alur Naga.

Several years pᴀssed, the existence of a pair of dragons and a girl reached the ears of the king and empress of the Asralanoka Kingdom, a kingdom in the Indian Ocean region. The king and queen lost their daughter while sailing in the Indian Ocean several years ago. They suspected that the girl being cared for by the two dragons was their child. After checking for themselves, the king and empress were sure that the girl was their child. They asked the two dragons, but were refused. They took the girl to the ship and went along the sea. The two dragons were angry and chased them until a battle broke out over the ocean. The battle disturbed Tuan Tapa’s meditation. He came out of the mountain and stepped his right foot on the rock to throw his body into the sea where the battle took place.

The footprints left an impression on the rock which is now called Mount Lampu. People called it Tapak Tuan and became the origin of the name Tapak Tuan. Mr. Tapa intends to save the girl so she doesn’t become a victim of the fight. Apparently, this angered the two dragons and a fight broke out between Mr. Tapa and the two dragons. Long story short, Mr. Tapa won the battle and both dragons died. The king and empress again had their child. They and their followers settled in South Aceh. They couldn’t return to the Asralanoka Kingdom because the ship was damaged during the battle. It is said that they were the ancestors of the current Tapak Tuan community.

This legendary story is believed by local people to this day. There is a number of believed pieces of evidence, including Mr. Tapa’s giant footprints on Mount Lampu. There is also a rock that resembles Tuan Tapa’s hat and skullcap which fell off during the fight, located 50 meters from the giant’s footprints. There are heart-shaped coral in Batu Itam Village and dragon scales in Batu Merah Village, which is located about 5 kilometers from the giant footprints. It is said that it was the remains of a male dragon who lost a fight. Apart from that, there is also a coral in the shape of a ship’s sail on Batu Berlayar Beach, Damar Tutong Village, Samadua District, South Aceh, which is located 20 kilometers from the giant footprints. It is said that it is the remains of the ship of the king and empress of the Asralanoka Kingdom which was destroyed during the battle.

There is also a giant tomb 2 meters wide and 15 meters long at the Tuo Mosque, Padang Village, Tapak Tuan, which is located about 1 kilometer from the giant footprints. It is said that this tomb is the final resting place or place where Tuan Tapa disappeared a week after the battle. The legend of Tuan Tapa, especially the giant footprints, is an attraction for newcomers and tourists to South Aceh. Visitors to this tourist attraction are around 500 people per day Monday-Friday and around 1,000 people per day Saturday-Sunday. Around 60 percent of visitors come from Banda Aceh to North Sumatra.