Richard Gere to visit Borobudur this month

Hollywood star Richard Gere will visit one of the world’s most renowned and largest Buddhist temples, Borobudur, in Magelang, Central Java, on June 26, a Culture and Tourism Ministry official says.
Gere, who is also a human rights activist, was invited by the ministry to spend time at the temple, exploring and enjoying its beauty.
Apparently it took a year to bring Gere to Indonesia, Ministry of Culture and Tourism director general of marketing Sapta Nirwandar said, as quoted by kompas.com.
“We did not pay him to come here. He came here as a personal guest of the ministry, not as a celebrity,” he added.
During his visit in Indonesia, Gere is scheduled to watch the sunrise at the temple and spend time with monks. He will also visit Yogyakarta and meet with Sultan Hamengku Buwono X.
“His presence will present a positive image for our country. We hope his visit will encourage other stars to visit the temple and other tourism cites nearby,” he said.
Sapta also hoped that Richard Gere’s visit would attract other visitors.