Tanah Abang market history at a glance

Tanah Abang market history at a glance

Damar Harsanto and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Tanah Abang textile market in Central Jakarta, which was hit
by fire on Wednesday, is said to be one of the largest markets in
Southeast Asia although there has been no direct evidence or
comprehensive research to support such a claim.

Valid or not, Tanah Abang is indeed Indonesia's largest
distribution center for textiles and textile products as traders
there have customers nationwide.

Currently it is estimated that the turnover in the textile
market reaches some Rp 15 trillion (US$1.6 billion) a year.

Such a massive income is generated by about 7,500 stalls owned
by some 4,700 traders.

Before Wednesday's fire, Tanah Abang market stood on a 39,300-
square-meter plot of land with a total floor area of about 82,000
square meters.

There are also some 2,000 street vendors who help create the
massive traffic congestion around the market complex, making it
nearly impossible for people and vehicles to move.

According to various sources, Tanah Abang literally means "red
earth" in Javanese. There is a possible connection with Lemah
Abang district in Bekasi, West Java, which also means "red
earth".

The term Tanah Abang itself is believed to come from the
Mataram expeditionary force under Sultan Agung which launched
attacks in 1628 against the East Indies Dutch trading company
(VOC) in Batavia, the old name for Jakarta.

The Javanese soldiers set up their camps around the present
time Tanah Abang market, located on a hilly site surrounded by
swamp, with the Kali Krukut river flowing nearby.

In addition to this widely accepted version, a noted Betawi
(native Jakartan) cultural observer, Ridwan Saidi said that the
name is derived from a certain tree common to the area, the
Nabang.

Ridwan's theory is likely based on a drawing made by a Dutch
soldier and artist, Johannes Rach, titled De Nabang which depicts
a panoramic view of Tanah Abang.

"That's why the Betawi people identify the area as Tenabang
until now. The name changed after the construction of a railway
station there in 1890," Ridwan said in his book Profil Orang
Betawi, Asal Muasal, Kebudayaan dan Adat Istiadatnya (Profile of
the Betawi People, Their Origins, Culture and Customs).

"The railway company thought that the word Tenabang derived
from Tanah Abang," he added.

The area was further developed as Batavia expanded its
territory. There was Weltevreden or the current Pasar Senen area
in the east, the west frontier was Molenvliet (Jl. Gajah Mada)
until Rijswijk (Jl. Veteran).

Transportation became inevitable following the expansion to
connect those newly claimed areas and canals were the main
option.

Chinese Captain Phoa Bing Ham was a main figure in the canal
construction when he dug a canal in Molenvliet reaching the
Ciliwung River to the east in 1648.

To the west, Phoa constructed a canal to the edge of Kebon
Sirih area connecting it with Kali Krukut on the west side of
Tanah Abang.

The presence of canals really helped the fertile areas around
Tanah Abang where people, mostly of Chinese descent, grew many
kinds of plants such as ginger, jasmine and sirih (betel vine).

That's why now there are areas named after specific plants
such as Kebon Jahe (Ginger Garden), Kebon Melati (Jasmine Garden)
and Kebon Sirih (Betel Vine Garden).

The area soon became a prosperous, progressive new economic
center.

As the Arabs came to the city in large numbers, the market
also became famous for its herds of goats which are still there
up until now.

The emerging market caught the attention of a wealthy Dutch
landlord, Justinus Vinck who bought the area in 1733. He also had
the land title of Weltevreden.

The Dutch trading company VOC granted Vinck a license to open
a market in Tanah Abang and another one in Weltevreden on Aug.
30, 1735.

The license allowed the Weltevreden market to open on Mondays
(hence the name Pasar Senen which means Monday Market) while
Tanah Abang was to open on Saturdays.

Due to increasing commercial activities, the Dutch colonial
administration then allowed Tanah Abang market to also open on
Wednesdays.

Vinck then constructed roads to connect both markets including
the one passing Prapatan Kwitang in Central Jakarta.

Tanah Abang met its first destruction in 1740 during the
Chinese rebellion which was suppressed violently by the Dutch
authorities here causing a large Chinese exodus out of Batavia.

The Chinese traders returned only after the Dutch persuaded
them to continue their halted activities.

The market was then reconstructed in 1881 followed by
modernization by the Dutch colonial administration in 1926.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government further renovated the
market in 1976, comprising of 4,351 shops with a total floor area
of 11,154 square meters.

Records show that Tanah Abang has been razed by fire at least
twice before. The first fire took place on Dec. 30, 1978 which
consumed the third floor of Block A.

The second fire was on Aug. 13, 1979 in Block B.

The city administration is planning a Rp 153.95 billion
renovation project expected to be finished by 2004.