Surabaya long known as a shopping paradise

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

"Look ... cheap, but genuine silk from Saudi Arabia," shouted a cloth seller at the Ampel Market in Surabaya promoting his merchandise. However, a resident warned The Jakarta Post: "Don't be easily fooled into buying it."

Not all silk cloth sold at the market is imported from the Middle East. But to convince buyers, most sellers claim their merchandise is from Saudi Arabia.

Besides being known as an area filled with religious settings, there also lies the grave of Sunan Ampel, a Muslim proselytizer in East Java, who was also known as a silk trader from Arabia.

Muslim prayer paraphernalia and dried dates are many to be found here. After performing their haj rituals in Mecca, many pilgrims usually buy souvenirs here that they had supposedly bought in Mecca.

In addition to cheap prices, most of the things sold are of the same kind and cheaper than those found in Mecca. And they don't have the hassle of bringing back troublesome luggage from Mecca.

The Surabaya municipality had designated the place as a religious and shopping destination in 2004. Every holiday season, the market is frequented by many people, be they locals or from outside East Java and even the expatriate community, to shop for textiles. Besides the Ampel market, the Kembang Jepun area, a stone's throw from the Ampel Mosque, has also been established as a wholesale trade and shopping area.

There are three wholesale trading centers located in the area; the Atom, Turi and Jembatan Merah markets. The oldest traditional market, the Pabean, is found in the Kembang Jepun area.

In 1743, the Kembang Jepun area was a center for the ethnic Chinese community during the struggle against Dutch colonial rule led by Oei Tai Pan, one of Chinese Emperor Jon Tsing's princes, who fled China after losing his throne to his sibling, Kian Long.

Since then, the area was known as a trade hub due to the flourishing pacht business scheme authorized by the Dutch Indies Company for ethnic Chinese traders.

Apart from the Chinese community, the area was also home to carpet, wooden dish and statue traders known as "wong keling", or dark-skinned people.

Head of the East Java Tourism Office, Harun, said that because of Surabaya long reputation as a shopping and trading center, the East Java provincial administration has decided to promote the city as a shopping destination in 2005.

The decision is reflected on the theme that has been adopted for the 2005 Majapahit Travel Fair that will be held at Surabaya's Tunjungan Plaza III from June 1 to June 5.

The East Java administration has been regularly conducting travel fairs every year since 1999, with each year having a different theme to present the province's potential, especially in tourism related sectors.

Harun said that the reason Surabaya was chosen as a shopping destination was due to the rapid growth of shopping centers in the city.

Among the newly-built shopping centers in Surabaya are Carrefour, Darmo Trade Center, Giant and the Pakuwon Trade Center, while the older ones include the Jembatan Merah Plaza, the Atom and Turi markets, the Tunjungan Plaza, the Surabaya Plaza and the Galaxy Mall.

The Majapahit Travel Fair will involve 55 participants from the hotels association, travel agencies, airlines, orchid growers and handicraft producers.

Various handicrafts like Malang and Madura masks, Madura and Sidoarjo batik, Gedhog Banyuwangi woven fabrics and the Mojokerto Ponorogo lumping horse made of plaitwork will be exhibited at the fair.

"Japan, Malaysia and several other Asian countries will also participate in the event," said Harun.