Glodok Chinatown continues to polish its image, strengthening its position as a premier Jakarta tourist destination

The historic Glodok Chinatown area in Tamansari, West Jakarta, continues to polish its image to strengthen its position as one of the premier tourist locations in the capital city. West Jakarta Mayor Iin Mutmainnah stated that one of the efforts undertaken is holding a night food festival involving Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and an entertainment stage with a local cultural atmosphere, while maintaining the original characteristics of Glodok Chinatown. “Glodok Chinatown has indeed become a tourism icon in Jakarta. Because of that, we continue to make the place more comfortable for visitors. We will certainly preserve it in terms of conservation, its ornaments, and its distinctive features,” Iin told ANTARA after attending the food festival in Glodok Chinatown on Saturday evening. Furthermore, as an initial step in the arrangement, Iin’s team is focusing on evaluating several crucial aspects, ranging from the parking system and security to cleanliness. This is being carried out through cross-sector coordination involving all local communities in the area. According to Iin, the activation of this area is not only oriented towards extending the operational hours of MSMEs but also providing a space for social interaction for the wider community. “This place does not only belong to West Jakarta, but to all residents of DKI Jakarta, and even those outside Jakarta. We hope residents can come and enjoy the atmosphere in the afternoon or on weekends here because the food is plentiful and the place is comfortable,” said the mayor, who recently completed a doctoral programme in governance studies. Meanwhile, Head of the West Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Sub-department, Sherly, added that the increasingly polished Glodok Chinatown is also linked to its integration with the Old Town under one tourism area umbrella. She also emphasised that, fundamentally, the Old Town area stretches not only around the museum area up to Sunda Kelapa Port. “But it extends all the way here, to Pancoran Glodok,” said Sherly. Sherly noted that the physical integration of these two iconic areas will become stronger along with the construction of the MRT Jakarta Phase 2 mass transport project. “Later, with the construction of MRT Phase 2, the station will connect from this Chinatown area directly to the Old Town tourist attraction. So, the tourist journey route will later be unified from here to the Old Town,” said Sherly. Sherly added that the high public enthusiasm for this night food festival is an important asset to promote Glodok Chinatown as a night tourism destination, similar to renowned Chinatown areas abroad. “We know Chinatown areas abroad like Lau Pa Sat in Singapore or Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur, as well as Pasar Semawis in Semarang. Jakarta has potential that is actually even cooler because here there are buildings that are more than 350 years old. This historical potential is what we will continue to push and develop,” concluded Sherly.