Bandung Mayor Proposes Monument in Cikadut Public Cemetery Be Designated as Cultural Heritage

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan will deploy a team through the Bandung City Culture and Tourism Department to assess the Cikadut Public Cemetery (TPU) as a cultural heritage site. He stated that he will collaborate with the community to discuss the matter.

“The grave buildings in Cikadut will undergo a study so that a city government decree can be issued declaring it as cultural heritage,” he said during the inauguration of the Cengbeng monument at TPU Cikadut on Sunday (29/3/2026).

He explained that the Bandung City Government currently has a regional regulation on cultural heritage that serves to protect cultural heritage sites. To obtain cultural heritage status, Farhan mentioned that a study will be conducted first.

“I strongly agree (with TPU Cikadut becoming cultural heritage),” he said.

He assessed that the study on the plan for TPU Cikadut to become cultural heritage is not straightforward. This is because several aspects must be considered, such as whether the cultural heritage covers the entire 56-hectare TPU Cikadut or only parts of it.

“The study must also be clear. How much will be designated as cultural heritage? What is the category? What is the classification? What is the definition? Are all graves included? Or only certain graves? Are there graves that must be declared as cultural heritage if they are a certain number of decades old?” he said.

Farhan stated that Bandung was built as a cosmopolitan city with characteristics of cultural diversity and racial backgrounds. He exemplified that several cultural groups exist in Bandung, from Chinese, Japanese, Arab, Dutch, English, and Sundanese cultures.

“So everyone must be involved in the form of unification or unity of diversity from our cultural backgrounds,” he said.

He mentioned that the determination of cultural heritage status greatly depends on the study that will be prepared. Subsequently, if the study is conducted and completed, a decree will be issued.

Representative of the Chinese Community Care and Paguyubang Social Marga Chinese Indonesia, Djoni Toat, appreciated the inauguration of the Cengbeng monument as cultural heritage. He said that Cengbeng is a tradition of grave visitation among the Chinese community.

“According to us, this is for all groups and religions; our tradition of grave visitation, if in Chinese it’s Cengbeng, is to honour ancestors. Without ancestors, we wouldn’t be here; we are grateful,” he said.

Elder of the Chinese community, Abah Oting Hambali, said that the inauguration of the Cengbeng monument is part of efforts to maintain and preserve the graves at TPU Cikadut. He stated that the existence of TPU Cikadut has been around for more than 100 years.

“The purpose is to honour (ancestors); if they weren’t here, we wouldn’t be either,” he said.