|
Jakarta
 Jakarta
has been called a study in contrasts : traditional and modern
; rich and poor ; spiritual and worldly stand side by side
in this bustling metropolis. Among the 8 million people who
call Jakarta home, one finds representatives of the many diverse
ethnic and cultural groups which shape Indonesia, a reminder
of the nation's motto : "Unity in Diversity". You
may have to search high and low in this multi-cultural collage
to find one of the proud ethnic Jakartans, called "Orang
Betawi". Their language, Betawi Malay, has two variations,
conventional Betawi Malay, spoken by elder people born and
bred in Jakarta, and modern Jakarta Malay, a slang form spoken
by the younger generation and migrants.
Jakarta is the port of entry for many tourists
and business people. It is home to a dynamic contrast between
Western - style skyscrapers, modern urban life-styles and
traditional Indonesian culture. Its rapid growth into a metropolitan
city reflects the economic, political, social and industrial
development of the nation. In recent years, Jakarta has expanded
its facilities for visitors with luxury hotels, fine restaurants,
exciting night life and modern shopping centers. It contains
many tourist attractions such as Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
(Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park), restored colonial
period buildings, islands resorts in the Pulau Seribu ( Thousand
Islands ), and an extensive beach recreation complex called
Ancol.
The nation's capital, Jakarta, has a remarkable
history. Its history as a trading center started as a small
harbor town called Sunda Kelapa, but its actual founding dates
back to the year 1527, when it was named Jayakarta by Fatahillah
of the neighboring Sultanate of Banten. The name Jayakarta
means City of great Victory. During the 17th century it served
as the capital of the Dutch East Indies with the name Batavia.
Reminders of this period can still be seen today
in the architecture of some of the northern parts of the city.
When Indonesian independence was finally secured it was renamed
Jakarta, and serves today as the center of government, business
and industry, spreading over an area of more than 650 sq.km
(410 sq miles ). Jakarta's architecture reflects the history
of outside influences which came and left their mark on this
vital seaport city. The Taman Fatahillah Restoration Project,
begun in the early 1970's, has restored one of the oldest
sections of Jakarta, known as Old Batavia or Kota, to one
of the most picturesque areas of the entire city. An Old Portuguese
Church and warehouse have been reincarnated as living museums.
The Old Supreme Court Building is now the National Museum
of Fine Arts and houses part of the superb Chinese porcelain
collection of former Vice-President Adam Malik. The Old Town
Hall has become the Jakarta Museum, displaying such rare items
as old Indonesians historical documents and Dutch period furniture.
Even the city's tower clock was returned to England to be
repaired under its lifetime guarantee, a lifetime which has
now stretched over hundreds of years !
As Indonesia's main gateway, Jakarta's Soekarno
Hatta International Airport is the central transportation
hub of Indonesia. It serves a growing number of international
airlines and is the nexus point for domestic flights across
the vast expanse of the archipelago. Local transport in all
forms within the city is readily available.
See
Movie
Photo by : Ministry of Culture and Tourism
of Indonesia |
