Banten: A village steeped in history

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.