Ideal spot for a relaxing vacation<\/p>\n
Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Interesting places to go, good food to savor and comfortable
\nplaces to stay are the main things that make any trip to a new
\nplace enjoyable and memorable. And Cirebon, a small coastal city
\nin West Java, has them all.<\/p>\n
Only four hours drive from Jakarta, Cirebon boasts a fishing
\nindustry, a thriving harbor and trading activities. It is also
\npopular for its rattan and batik products, and a wide array of
\nlocal cuisine. But a lack of publicity and promotion has meant
\nthat the city is primarily known as a stopover for those heading
\nto cities in Central Java.<\/p>\n
With the presence of four keratons (palaces) and other
\nhistorical landmarks, Cirebon is culturally rich and, in a way, a
\nvisit there reminds one of Yogyakarta -- only without the famous
\nMalioboro street.<\/p>\n
Cirebon (its unique name is believed to derive from cai,
\nmeaning water, and rebon, shrimp, or \"shrimp city\")
\nis one of the oldest cities in the country.<\/p>\n
The 631-year-old city was once a center for the dissemination
\nof Islam. Its strong relationship with the spread of Islam in the
\ncountry is evident from, among other things, the presence of one
\nof the oldest mosques in Java, the 521-year-old Mesjid Agung.<\/p>\n
The mosque, which is surrounded by a red-brick wall, has nine
\ngates to symbolize the Wali, the nine prominent propagators of
\nIslam in Java. The mosque's two-tiered roof is supported by four
\nhuge wooden pillars called soko guru. According to a Kasepuhan
\npalace guide, Iman, one of the pillars was made by Sunan
\nKalijaga, a Wali, in a single night.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Cirebon only had one palace, Pakungwati, which was
\nbuilt by Prince Cakrabuana in 1445. Over time, the royal houses
\nwere split into four palaces: Keraton Kasepuhan, Keraton Kanoman,
\nKeraton Cirebonan and Keraton Keprabonan,<\/p>\n
Only two of them -- Keraton Kasepuhan and Keraton Kanoman --
\nare worth visiting due to their distinct and vast collections.<\/p>\n
Keraton Kasepuhan in the Lemahwungkuk area and Keraton
\nKanoman, which is located right in the center of a traditional
\nmarket called Pasar Kanoman, are only around 500 meters apart.
\nIt's best to visit the two palaces on the weekend since there
\nwill be many guides available to provide detailed insights into
\nthe buildings' history and collections.<\/p>\n
Kasepuhan was built in 1529, and remains of the earliest
\npalace, Pakungwati, can still be found behind the present one.<\/p>\n
At the palace's museum, there are precious heirlooms,
\nincluding gifts from other countries, like a crystal chandelier
\nfrom France (1738), antique wedding jewelry (1526), wooden chests
\nfrom China and crystal glasses with ship motifs from the time of
\nthe Dutch East Indies Company (1745).<\/p>\n
But the most attractive sight is the finely crafted carriage
\nSinga Barong kept in the palace's carriage museum. The carriage
\nis similar to its predecessor, Paksi Naga Liman, kept at Kanoman
\npalace.<\/p>\n
According to Iman, the Singa Barong carriage was made in 1549.<\/p>\n
\"The carriage depicts three creatures made into one, an
\nelephant, a dragon and the mythical burog (the creature that
\ncarried the Prophet Mohammad),\" Iman said.<\/p>\n
The carriage also symbolizes harmonious relations with other
\ncountries and religions. Iman said the elephant's trunk depicted
\non the cart represented friendship with the predominantly Hindu
\npeople of India, while the head of the dragon illustrated
\naffinity with Chinese Buddhists. The carriage's wings and the
\nbody of the burog symbolized harmonious relations with Egyptian
\nMuslims.<\/p>\n
The Singa Barong carriage, which was used to transport the
\nking during ceremonial events, was earlier pulled by four kebo
\nbule (white buffaloes). \"Then, it represented the rejection of
\nthe Dutch rulers. By using the white buffaloes, it's like trying
\nto say we don't want to be ruled,\" Iman said.<\/p>\n
The carriage wasn't used after 1942, and a replica was made,
\nbecoming the king's new carriage.<\/p>\n
Cirebon was once a melting pot of people from various cultures
\nwho came to the city to trade all manner of goods, from Chinese
\nsilk and ceramics to European silver and gold, and spices.<\/p>\n
The strong influence of these cultures can still be seen
\ntoday, such as in the forms of antique ceramic tiles decorating
\nmost of the Kasepuhan palace's walls and gates, including the
\nEuropean-style Gapura Kutagara Wadasan where the king parked his
\ncarriage, the Buk Bacem gate which separates the palace's inner
\nand outer sections, and all over the palace's interior.<\/p>\n
According to Iman, the ceramic tiles, which can also be found
\nadorning walls and gates in other historical sites like Keraton
\nKanoman and the Sunan Gunung Jati tomb, feature different
\nstories, like the epic Mahabrata.<\/p>\n
The influence of other cultures can also be found in Cirebon's
\nbatik motifs which include folk stories and landscapes, or its
\nbrighter, glaring colors -- different from those found in other
\ncities in Java like Yogyakarta and Surakarta, which are famous
\nfor dark brown and black patterned batik.<\/p>\n
Trusmi, a small village 15 minutes from the city's center, has
\nmade Cirebon famous for its batik, known among aficionados as
\ncoastal batik.<\/p>\n
\"Our motifs are generations old but that doesn't mean we don't
\ncare about trends,\" said a woman employee at Batik Gunung Jati
\nboutique in Trusmi which specializes in classic and contemporary
\nbatik.<\/p>\n
More information on Cirebon is available at
\nhttp:\/\/cirebon.virtualave.net\/<\/p>",
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