Old Jakarta, 'little Venice'<\/p>\n
Since the 12th century, the Ciliwung river which divided
\nBatavia (old Jakarta) into eastern and western sections, served
\nas the main transportation system connecting the center of the
\nHindu Sunda Kingdom in Batutulis, Bogor, to Sunda Kalapa seaport.<\/p>\n
Adolf Heuken writes in his Historical sites of Jakarta that
\nSunda Kalapa was visited by vessels from southern Sumatra's
\nPalembang, Tanjungpura, Malaka, Makassar and Madura. Even traders
\nfrom as far away as India, South China and the Ryuku Islands (now
\npart of Japan) are said to have visited.<\/p>\n
In the Dutch colonial era, a number of canals were built,
\nincluding the Molenvliet (the canal the divides Jl. Hayam Wuruk
\nand Jl. Gajah Mada in West Jakarta) and the Mookervart (now Kali
\nPesing).<\/p>\n
J.J. de Vries writes in his Jakarta Tempo Doeloe that there
\nwas a tradition among the rich who owned plush resort houses
\nalongside the Jactraweg (now Jl. Pangeran Jayakarta) to visit
\neach others using boats docked at the rear of their villas along
\nthe Ciliwung river.<\/p>\n
\"They visited each other using boats rowed by their slaves
\nalong the river,\" de Vries writes.<\/p>\n
Molenvliet was built in 1649 by a Chinese captain, Phoa Bing
\nAm, to transport firewood to the factories near Glodok that
\nproduced, among others things, paper and gun powder. The canal
\nwas also utilized as a means of transportation.<\/p>\n
But as the city grew, the rivers became shallower due to
\ndumping.<\/p>\n
According to Heuken, Governor General van Diemen ordered the
\ndredging of the Mookervaart in 1681 and channeling into it of
\nwater from the Cisadane river in Tangerang in a bid to raise the
\ncanal's water levels.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, the project only worsened the situation,\" he
\nwrites.<\/p>\n
Today, Jakarta has 12 rivers flowing through it besides the
\nmain Ciliwung river. Most of these rivers, however, are shallow
\nand severely polluted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/old-jakarta-little-venice-1447893297",
"image": ""
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