Chinatowns do exist in almost all cities worldwide. Marked with temples, distinctive building architectures and traditional markets as community centers, Chinatowns donate more unique colors to a nation’s culture diversity. In addition, Chinatowns are such a valuable point of interest that well appeal tourists to have a visit. In Jakarta, Chinese settlements are mostly found in West Jakarta, such as in Petak Sembilan, Glodok, and Pekojan. Let’s see what special things they have.
Petak Sembilan |
| Busy narrow street at Petak Sembilan |
Walking down the busy narrow streets at Petak Sembilan Area is something appealing. Why walking? Because the width of the street does not allow you to drive comfortably. On the right and the left of the street, clusters of stalls serve you a sightseeing experience. Those stalls sell various goods such as vegetables, fruits, fireworks, and even cheongsam (Chinese dress for woman) and changsan (Chinese suit for men) for babies and kids. Meanwhile, above the street hanging Chinese lanterns tied on ropes crossing two building roofs.
Petak Sembilan is one of crowded areas in West Jakarta where Chinese folks (Chinese descents and immigrants) live, socialize and do business, mostly in trading. Out of its traditional market, Petak Sembilan is more acknowledged with old Chinese temples that are regularly visited on Chinese New Year and Cap Goh Meh by hundreds chinese people living in Jakarta.
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| Jin De Yuan Temple Courtesy of Mahendra (Flickr) |
Glodok Pancoran
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| Fruit stall |
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| Book store |
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| Sweets stall |
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| Decoration stuff stall |
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| Street paintings |
When you go to this commercial area, your wondering eyes will keep leading you strolling the roadside market displaying many varieties of commodities, from snacks to potteries; from fireworks to electronics; from books to illegal DVDs. You are also able to have a painting of you from the street painters, of course with a relatively economical price.
However, most people come to this market for Chinese traditional food. There we can find a lot of stalls selling grilled duck, cakwe, bakpao, siomay, kwetiau, bubur kembang tahu and Oolong tea (a kind of tea served cold).
These stalls are commonly old. The lanterns and the decorating stuffs displayed, show off a solid Chinese flavor of sellers. Some stores display the year they were first opened on the identity board hung above the stall entrance.
Kampung Pekojan
Kampung Pekojan is one of the Jakarta’s Chinese immigrants settlements located in Tambora, West Jakarta. There, Chinese flavor is easly noticed from the architecture of the folk’s old houses, a point of interest where usually tourists look for. Visiting Kampung Pekojan is not perfect without tasting any kind of Chinese food sold in the eateries around. In addition, visitors are also able to enjoy the old-time athmosphere of Port of Jakarta at Kampung Pekojan.
Harmony in diversity might be a proper motto of Kampung Pekojan. Why? Because the Chinese folk live peacefully among other races like Malayan and Arab who settled at this area earlier. Never happens any conflict againts races and religions. Everybody respects and is tolerant with each other.
