Banten: A village steeped in history

Text and photos by Brigid O'Halloran

BANTEN, West Java (JP): Avoiding the chickens and goats that line the dusty road through the historic fishing village of Banten, it is difficult to imagine that this village, 80 kilometers west of Jakarta, was once a bustling metropolis and the most important spice trading port in Southeast Asia.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Banten was part of the ancient Buddhist Kingdom of Sunda, but in 1525 a Moslem army invaded Sunda, adopting Banten as its trading capital.

Trade in Chinese ceramics, birds' nests, spices, ivory and handicrafts transformed Banten into a thriving seaport, and during the 16th century and early 17th century it rivaled Amsterdam in size and importance.

Although little remains of this bustling seaport, evidence of its former glory still exists and makes a trip to the village on Java's northwest coast a fascinating experience.

On the road leading into the village, the crumbling ruins of Kaibon Palace give the first indication of Banten's glorious past. The remaining arches and walls of the palace, built for the Banten sultan's mother, lie in a field to the south of the main square.

Opposite the village square the expansive ruins of the Surosawan Palace dominate the landscape. The royal palace was ruined during a bloody civil war in the late-17th century and then rebuilt, only to be destroyed by the Dutch in 1832.

The ruins of the palace were buried for over a century but have been excavated to reveal several bathing pools, an impressive arched gateway and the palace arsenal. Surosawan was enclosed by a moat and a high brick wall, much of which has been restored. An aqueduct drawing water from an artificial reservoir some two km away is also visible on the south side.

For an insight into the treasures of the palace, a visit to the museum situated opposite the main entrance is a must. The museum provides information about Banten's history and archeology in English and its collection is well presented and preserved. Among its many treasures are enormous clay urns and decorative friezes salvaged from the ruins of the old palace. A modest collection of porcelain crockery (with several Chinese pieces dating from the Ming dynasty) and jewelry, is also on display.

In the alun alun (village square) to the north of Surosawan is a colorful market selling souvenirs, fruit and vegetables. These stalls stretch for several hundred meters along the road leading to Mesjid Agung (the great mosque), one of the oldest mosques in Asia. Built in the 16th century and designed by a Dutch Moslem, the five tiered rectangular roof is typical of early Javanese architecture.

For a small donation, visitors can see the royal graves of seven sultans and their wives which lie both inside the mosque itself and in its courtyard.

According to our guide, many of the tombs have deteriorated badly and had to be restored.

"Some had to be replaced completely but the original headstones have been retained," he said.

Beside the mosque is a 30-meter-high octagonal minaret, built in the mid-16th century. A narrow spiral staircase inside the minaret leads to two balconies at the top which provide an excellent view of Banten Lama (Old Banten) and the coastline.

To the north of the mosque is the Klenteng (Chinese temple), very popular with Chinese-Indonesians. The garishly painted temple was built by the sultan to reward the Chinese, who had helped eliminate malaria in the region. A guide directs visitors through the temple with its elaborately carved crimson and gold motifs.

Opposite the temple are the ruins of Fort Speelwijk, originally constructed by the Banten Sultanate but seized by the Dutch and remodeled.

Both the Dutch and the English established trading offices and warehouses in Banten in the late-16th century, until the Dutch were expelled after a disagreement with the Banten authorities.

They moved their operations to Jayakarta, blockading Banten for over 30 years. This impacted on trade in Banten and the economy suffered. After a revival during the latter half of the 17th Century, a civil war erupted and the Dutch eventually took control of the city. They finally abandoned Fort Speelwijk and the town in 1810, when the coastline silted up, leading to the ultimate decline of the once-great city.

Fort Speelwijk was originally situated at the river mouth but the coastline has since moved further out to sea. The ruined interior of the fort is now used as a soccer field by the locals. On the northern wall some interesting features still remain, including a passageway leading to what was once the coast and a turret which provides a sweeping view of the surrounding fish ponds.

The small fishing harbor, Pelabutan Karanghantu, northeast of the town square is also a fascinating place to visit. The Serang River, leading into the harbor, is quite a spectacle with hundreds of brightly painted perahu (fishing boats), many of which look barely seaworthy, docked along its banks.

All along the eastern side of the Serang lie drying racks full of the local catch of sardines and teri (kind of small fish), the smell of which pervades the air.

From here, boats can be chartered to nearby islands, including Pulau Dua, a temporary home for thousands of migratory birds.

Banten is situated 10 km north of Serang and can be reached by car (although the road from Serang is not very well sign-posted) or bus from Jakarta. The bus from Kalideres to Serang takes approximately two hours. From Serang, a bemo (three-wheeled public transportation van) or ojek (motorcycle taxi) can be hired to travel the short distance to Banten. Most of the sites in the historic village can be reached on foot, however, a visit to the harbor will require the use of a becak (pedicab) or ojek.

Banten is certainly not the most picturesque of destinations, but for those with an interest in history it provides some fascinating insights into this former maritime capital.

Modest accommodation is available in Serang but given the close proximity of the sites, a day trip from Jakarta will give visitors ample time to discover Banten's treasures.