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Chinatown - Indonesia Jakarta Chinatown –GlodokChinese in Indonesia Indonesia’s 6 million ethnic Chinese represents about 3 % of the country’s entire population.. The largest concentrations of ethnic Chinese are in Jakarta and Surabaya on the island of Java, as well as Medan in Sumatra. But virtually all towns and cities across the Indonesian archipelago have ethnic Chinese residents. Most Indonesian Chinese are ancestrally Hokkien although other dialect groups from south-eastern China are represented. Many ethnic Chinese in Sumatra are Hakka, descended from indentured or `coolie' laborers imported to work in the Sumatran plantations. There are also a small number of Teochews (such as in the Riau Archipelago) and Hainanese. Chinese have been in Indonesia for hundred of years. Many of the early settlers married local wives and adopted local culture. These came to be known as Peranakans. One of their distinct characteristics is their use of an Indonesian language within the family. Immigrants who came to Indonesia in the late 19th century tend to marry Chinese wives, retaining the Chinese language, dress and culture. These latter immigrants who prefer to be self-employed, came to be known as Totoks. And many of these Totoks live in Chinatown. The 1960s was a difficult time for the Chinese in Indonesia and they were implicated in the aborted communist coup in 1965. So, following Suharto's ascent to the presidency, Chinese literature including newspapers and books and schools and various Chinese cultural activities such as Chinese New Year celebrations were banned. It was only in 2000, that the Chinese New Year was declared an alternative public holiday. Although they are a small minority, the Chinese dominate the economy, including the ownership of several large conglomerates. As such, they are often the targets of frustration, especially during adverse economic times. And it is with this backdrop that we should view Glodok or Jakarta’s Chinatown.
Glodok started when the Dutch banned the Chinese outside the city walls after the massacre of the Chinese in 1740 in which 5,000 Chinese were killed. Although much of Jakarta’s Chinatown has been demolished, one can still find typical Chinese shophouses, as well as temples and churches which cater to the Chinese in Glodok. Near the Petak fish market south of Jalan Pancoran you will find the Jinde Yuan or Dharma Jaya Temple, Jakarta’s oldest Chinese temple. This temple was built in 1650. An older name for this temple, Kwan-Im, became the Indonesian word for all Chinese temples, klenteng. It boasts fine roof ornamentation and various sacramental antiques. Small streets around Glodok Plaza are packed with Chinese restaurants and shops that sell herbal medicines. Glodok is also an entertainment district at night, but is generally not recommended unless one knows the way about.
During the riots that rocked the capital in May 1998, ethnic Chinese were
targeted by violent and angry mobs who felt that the Chinese received
unfair government protection. Though businesses were looted and burned
throughout the city, Glodok was hardest hit. More than 1,000 people died
in the rioting (mostly looters who were trapped in torched shopping
malls), and many Chinese fled to neighboring countries.
References
Websites/Articles on Glodok
Compiled by Yeo Ai Hoon |