Semarang's Old City offers history, culture



Pos office semarang early 1900

Blenduk church in 19 century

Semarang Harbour in 1876

Deviana's eyes shone when she entered the cool, green environs of Srigunting Park in Semarang, Central Java. The public park has been preserved by the Semarang administration and is surrounded by a number of colonial architecture, including the famous Immanuel Church, also called Blenduk Church.

"I've come to Semarang several times, but this is my first visit to Kota Lama (Old City). It's really fantastic, as the old buildings built during the Dutch era still exist and look solid," said the youth from Jakarta.

"Of course, they are damaged here and there, but I also noticed the local government's efforts at restoration. I think the buildings have to be preserved so that they remain attractive tourism objects," she said.

Deviana was even more awed when the church staff allowed her to enter and take a close look at the interior of the church.

Inside Immanuel Church, which was built in 1753, visitors will find centuries-old teakwood pews with new woven rattan seats lining the great hall, and a damaged antique organ on the upper level.

Semarang's Old City is dubbed the Little Netherlands, with good reason: Its colonial-era buildings are arrayed along blocks and avenues that were based on city designs from Holland, and all are maintained in pristine condition.

Some notable structures are the Marabunta building on Jl. Cendrawasih, which was formerly used as an opera house, with its acoustically designed dome. At a glance, its auditorium looks like an upside-down boat.

Near Immanuel Church on Jl. Letjen Suprapto stands the Marba building, constructed in the mid-19th Century, when the street was called De Heeren Straat. Its name is an acronym for Marta Badjunet, a native of Yemen whose family still owns the property.

The historical buildings in Old City include those that are used today as residences, offices, a hospital, a market, schools and places of worship.

The Semarang Post Office on Jl. Pemuda, for example, stands strong and functional, while nearby Johar Market, built in 1933, still serves hundreds of vendors who ply their wares here. The mushroom-like octagonal pillars designed by Thomas Karsten made it one of the grandest markets in Southeast Asia during its heyday.

A tour of Semarang would be incomplete without dropping by Chinatown. Here, visitors will discover a plethora of Chinese architecture, including nine temples dotting its narrow alleyways. In fact, the aroma of incense greets wanderers who upon entering the area.

The breadth of Chinatown seems to indicate that the Chinese community must have flourished in Semarang long before the Dutch. One of the oldest and largest Chinese temples is the Tay Kak Sie, built in 1771, and its eight other "cousins" range in age from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries.

The oldest Chinese temple in Semarang is on the outskirts of the city: the Sam Poo Kong temple in Simongan. It is said that the local Chinese community built this temple in 1412, when the famous Ming dynasty seafarer, Admiral Cheng Ho, dropped anchor in Semarang. After a three-year renovation from 2002 to 2005, the temple is now the grandest in Southeast Asia.

While touring Semarang's numerous unique spots, visitors should not forget to take along their camera to snap photos or to capture videos of memorable sites.

Don't forget to stop by the Lawang Sewu building on Jl. Pemuda, which was constructed in 1877 by the Nederlandsche Spoorwegen Maatschappij (the Dutch Railway Company) and officially opened on July 1, 1907. Parts of the roof have decayed, but the entire structure stands in splendor as one of the city's landmarks.

Visitors are allowed to wander through the building, including its underground corridors. It is called Lawang Sewu, meaningthousand doors", because of its U-shaped design from which numerous doors open. Currently, the building is used infrequently for exhibitions or ceremonial events.

"I love Semarang. The taxis here use meters and the drivers do not take me around in circles. The city is clean and has a port. Not only the major streets are clean, but also the kampongs," said Hendri, who comes from Malang.

Semarang also offers more modern attractions for those who like to venture out at night, as it is a city that never sleeps. Check out the bustling Simpang Lima (five-way intersection) in the heart of the city, which is filled with a gamut of food vendors that are open from early evening till morning.