Old city comes to life
Old city comes to life
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The old town of Batavia, known as Kota today, in West Jakarta
looked like the pages of a history book come to life on Saturday.
Women in kebaya encim, or the traditional Malay blouse
fastened with pins, and men in sadariyah, or tunic and sarong,
walked down the road lined with Batavia's old buildings and in
the cobble-stone square in front of the Jakarta Museum of
History, otherwise known as Fatahilah Museum.
Others, clad in the uniform of Dutch officers, rode old-
fashioned bicycles, inspecting the visitors to the second annual
Old City and Chinatown Festival.
The festival, which is aimed at encouraging both city
residents and tourists to visit the old city, featured a parade,
arts performances, a food fair and a Chinese-themed corner.
The event highlighted the history of the area, which was
occupied during the 17th century by Dutch colonials, the native
Betawi people and the Chinese.
At the parade, it was not just Chinese and Betawi cultures
that were represented, such as through the dragon dance, lion
dance, tanjidor group music, giant effigies and martial arts, but
also traditional performances from other ethnic groups living in
Jakarta today like the reog ponorogo and kuda lumping from East
Java as well as Bali's Barong dance.
The procession -- which moved along Jl. Pos to Jl. Jembatan
Batu, Beos train station, Jl. Pintu Besar Selatan and turned
around on Jl. Hayam Wuruk -- was livened up by a marching band
comprising 63 students from the Institute of Public
Administration in Jatinangor, West Java.
There was much oohing and aahing from the crowd over two
traditional buggies, which were lavishly decorated and
transported "newlywed" Betawi and Chinese couples.
Besides the parade, about 40 stands were set up in the square
in front of the museum, offering handicrafts, souvenirs, food and
Chinese medicine. Feng Shui experts and cartoonists were also at
the site to converse with visitors.
"This year's event was good but I liked last year's more. It
was more festive with the decorated floats," said Kusmawati who
was accompanied by her daughter.
West Jakarta Mayor Fadjar Panjaitan, who opened the event,
said that residents should be proud of the old Dutch buildings,
which had huge tourism potential.
"These old buildings must be protected," he said.
At the event, Fadjar was asked to preserve the buildings by
two Dutch actors, who were playing architect Long Broek and
Governor General Mat Suyker on the main stage.
"My name is Long Broek and I'm the architect of all these
buildings. Their condition now is not what it was. I hope you
will take good care of them," he said. (004)