A gold-covered island is not merely a myth—such an island truly existed and was discovered in Indonesia.
In ancient times, stories about a golden island were widespread across the world. In India, classical texts and poetic works described a distant island filled with gold across the seas.

The Ramayana also depicts a journey to a golden land known as Suvarnabhumi.
Meanwhile, Greek and Roman scholars between 31 BC and 416 AD wrote about a gold-rich island located south of India. A text from the 1st century AD even mentioned that the island was situated where the sun stood directly overhead—indicating the equatorial region.

Ancient Ming Dynasty manuscripts from the 14th century likewise referenced a southern land known as San Fo Tjai, famed for its abundance of gold.

These legends were finally confirmed during the age of maritime exploration in the 15th century, when it became clear that the “golden island” was in fact Sumatra, located in present-day Indonesia.

Further investigations revealed more evidence. William Marsden, in The History of Sumatra (1811), recorded that Padang produced around 10,000 ounces or 283 kilograms of gold from 1,200 inland mines, each valued at about one million guilders.

Similarly, Denys Lombard in The Kingdom of Aceh (1986) explained that Aceh possessed about 300 gold mines, and reportedly obtained 24-carat gold from each site.

European writer Agustin de Beaullie noted that the soil layers in Aceh contained significant amounts of gold, sometimes even forming lumps.

During the colonial era, the scale of Sumatra’s gold resources became clearer. The Dutch conducted massive exploration and exploitation, making gold a major revenue source alongside spices.

Local communities also relied on gold as a source of income, processing and trading it. From this practice emerged wealthy gold entrepreneurs who later contributed to Indonesia’s development during the early years of independence.

Today, gold mining in Sumatra still continues, although production has declined compared to regions like Papua.