Category: Jakarta

An Iconic Historical “Yellow House” That Adorns the Beauty of the Jakarta Old Town Area

Posted on by

A Striking Iconic Building That Catches the Eye Alongside the Road of Jakarta Old Town Area

As a part of the Jakarta Old Town Area, historical buildings are lined up at the side of Kali Besar area. They are the buildings where The Red Store is standing. At the corner, there is a big fancy building with an iconic colonial style, which is called the “Yellow House” or more popularly known as Yellow Lion House. It is not as popular as the The Red Store, but it sure holds a significance for Jakarta history.

A Brief History of the Yellow House as You Stroll Around Historical Buildings in Your Jakarta Old Town Walking Tour

The Yellow House is located southwest of Buffalo Building. It is called the Yellow Lion House since there was a pair of lion statues that were painted yellow color at the front door. It was originally a Dutch castle that was built around the 18th Century. In the colonial era, the building was once used as a bank, firm, and even as a residence. One of the officials that once reside there is a German noble, Friedrich von Wurmb, that would become one of the founders of National Library.

Take A Glance of the Yellow House in Modern Days as Tourist to Pass by the Jakarta Old Town Area for Tour in Jakarta

In the present day, the Yellow House has become a tourist attraction alongside the buildings next to it, including The Red Store. Even though it is not open to the public, people often take a glance at the iconic building structure and take photos while visiting the area. A look at the building will get you a picture of how prosperous the area in the past was.

Explore More Things to See in to Learn About Jakarta from Historical Buildings with Jakarta Walking Tour

If you want to see more beautiful historical buildings to reminisce about the history of Old Batavia, come to Jakarta and join Jakarta Old Batavia Tour with Jakarta Walking Tour. We will take you to explore the city’s history, culture, and delicacies. See you around!

A Glance of a Significant Historical Place, “Kali Besar”, to Visit Alongside Your Walking Tour in Jakarta

Posted on by

A Historical Place That Holds Importance Aside Museums to Visit Alongside the Jakarta Old Town

To learn about the history of Jakarta, you can visit museums, old buildings, or a square in the Jakarta Old Town area. Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum for example. However, there is also one place that holds a big importance in Jakarta History, which is the iconic big canal or called Kali Besar.

A Brief History of Kali Besar, Once A Canal That Holds a Big Importance for the Old Batavia in the Past

The Kali Besar, or in Dutch was called de Groote Rivier, was once a stream of Ciliwung River that had been straightened around the year of 1631-1632. In the early days Batavia in the 17th Century, ships usually sailed along a canal to Kali Besar. But with the change of the land and structures and ships are getting bigger, only smaller ships can anchor alongside the canal. It became a place to drop goods from smaller ships that carry them from bigger ships in Sunda Kelapa Harbor.

Trace the Change from the Past to the Future of Jakarta from Kali Besar as A Part of Jakarta Old Town

In the Dutch colonial era, the Kali Besar was the center of commerce in the Old Batavia, and it became an elite area and there are many European big buildings that was build around it. However, the situation changed drastically due to an epidemic in the 1900s. The Kali Besar is no longer the center of economy as many people move to other prospective areas. Now in the present, the Kali Besar and the buildings around it have become a tourist attraction. Some of them are the Diamond City Bridge, Mercure Hotel, and The Red Store that now also functions as a restaurant.

See The Iconic Place with Your Own Eye as a Part of Your Walking Tour in Jakarta Old Town Area

To know more about the iconic Kali Besar, come to Jakarta, and join us on our Jakarta Old Batavia Tour with Jakarta Walking Tour. We will take you to explore Jakarta history, culture, and delicacies as we stroll around the iconic places of Jakarta. See you around!

Learn the Culture of Jakarta by Visiting the Fine Arts and Ceramic Museum at Jakarta Old Town as a Part of Walking Tour

Posted on by

Learn About the History and Culture of Old Batavia by Visiting Museums on Your Walking Tour in Jakarta

The perfect place to learn and explore about the history of Jakarta is by visiting the popular landmark, Jakarta Old Town. You can find many historical buildings, statues, rivers, or even a water fountain that was and has been operating in Old Batavia since the colonial era. In this modern era, most of the buildings have changed their functions. Some of them are governmental buildings that have been transformed into museums, such as the Fatahillah Museum, Wayang Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramic.

A Brief History of Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics That Once was a Court of Justice in the Old Batavia Era

According to the Jakarta Cultural Department website, the building of the museum was built in 1866 and completed in 1870. It was designed by an architect named Jhe W.H.F.H. Van Raders, in a neoclassical style. At the beginning of the establishment, this building was functioned as a Court of Justice (Raad Van Justitie). Since then, the building has been changing functions through the colonial era until post-colonial era. It has been began to function as a Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics in the early 1990s.

Explore the Museums of Fine Arts in the Modern Era of Jakarta Old Town During Your Tour in Jakarta

Like many other museums in Jakarta, the Museum opens almost every day except Mondays, from 9 AM to 3 PM. The entrance fee is relatively affordable for local citizens, IDR 5000 per persons for adult. The museum displays collections of Indonesian artists from 1800s until now. The painting collection is divided based on their era, meanwhile the fine arts collection displays statues like Asmat totem, ceramics, etc. Aside from that, there are also collections from a few of areas in Indonesia and abroad like China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Europe.

Find More Things to See Aside from Museums to Learn About Jakarta History and Culture in Jakarta Old Batavia Tour

Aside from Museums, there are also more things to find to learn about Jakarta history and culture at Jakarta Old Town. Come visit Jakarta and join our Jakarta Walking Tour to explore together while strolling in the bustling city. See you around!

Reminisce the View of Old Batavia by the Modern Fatahillah Square in Jakarta Old Town

Posted on by

Learning Jakarta History in Fatahillah Square as You Take a Stroll as a Part of Jakarta Walking Tour

One of the most iconic landmarks in Jakarta to visit is the Jakarta Old Town Area, where the Jakarta History Museum or Museum Fatahillah established. The museums are the ones that you will often see in souvenirs, postcards, or stamps that represent the city. In front of the the museum, stretched out a town square. It is as popular and as iconic as the museum, since it is an inseparable part of the city hall from the Old Batavia era.

A Brief History of the Importance Past and Modern Fatahillah Square as An Iconic Part of Jakarta Old Town

The first city hall of Batavia was built in 1620, and like many other European style structures, the city hall included a square, called Stadhuisplain, which is the Fatahillah Square in modern era. According to a painting, there was a water fountain at the center of the square that functioned as a water source for the citizens. It is believed that the water from the fountain was from Pancoran Glodok. The fountain went missing in the 19th Century but was later found in 1972 by excavating the area. Pipes that connect the water fountain to the source were also found. With that source of evidence, the water fountain was rebuilt according to the painting and in 1973, the square was renamed as Fatahillah Square or Taman Fatahillah.

Things You Can See and Do in Fatahillah Square as A Part of Jakarta Old Town Area

In the modern era, Fatahillah Square has become a popular tourist attraction, not only among foreign tourists, but also locals. There are many activities to do at the square. Taking photos, playing with toys, riding bycicles, or snacking for example. Or you can choose to eat at one of the restaurants around it and see the square as you look through the windows. As so many people come especially on holidays or weekends, there are also many street vendors. The square is mostly open to visit every day except when there is a particular event, but museums around it will be closed every Monday.

Explore More Interesting Things by Yourself by Visiting the Jakarta Old Town Area as a Part of Walking Tour in Jakarta

To find more of what to see and do at Fatahillah Square while learning about Jakarta History, come visit the place by yourself. Join us on our Jakarta Old Batavia Tour during your stay in the city. We will take you to explore the history, culture, and more of the city. See you around!

Explore the History of Old Batavia, From the Most Iconic Jakarta Landmark, Fatahillah Museum – Part 2

Posted on by

jakarta old batavia tour

A Brief Introduction Fatahillah Museum, the Most Iconic Historical Building of the Jakarta Old Town

If you are circling around the Jakarta Old Town Square and find a wide building with many windows, facing right at the square, then it is most certain that the building is Fatahillah Museum, or in another name, Jakarta History Museum. It is one of the oldest historical buildings in the city as it has witnessed almost every different era of Old Batavia and now Jakarta.

How to Reach Fatahillah Museum as A Part of Your Walking Tour in Jakarta Old Town

To reach the museum, the easiest way is by riding a commuter line train to the Jakarta Kota station. The train fee depends on from where you depart, but it is still relatively cheap. You can also go by Transjakarta Bus. Once you descend from the train, you just need to walk around five minutes to reach the Fatahillah Museum and due to the iconic building design, that stands out from other buildings in the same area, it will be relatively easy to find. The museum opens almost every day except every Monday, from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Take a Glance of What is Inside the Museum that Store Items, Stories, and More of the Old Batavia

Inside the Museum, you can learn about the history of Jakarta from its collection. It stores a wide variety of collections from the replica of Tarumanegara and Padjajaran kingdom, antique furniture from the 17th and 19th Century with a mix of European, Chinese, and Indonesian style. There are also ceramics, pottery and inscriptions stones that tells the history of Indonesia, mainly Jakarta.

More Things to See Around the Fatahillah Museum to Explore More of the History of Old Batavia with Jakarta Walking Tour

Aside from the museum, there is still more to see and do around the Jakarta Old Town square or nearby area to learn about the Jakarta people, history, and culture. Come to Jakarta and join our Jakarta Old Batavia Tour. Explore modern Jakarta with a fun and insightful Walking Tour to widen your knowledge about Jakarta. See you around!

Explore the History of Old Batavia, From the Most Iconic Jakarta Landmark, Fatahillah Museum – Part 1

Posted on by

Museum Fatahillah, an Iconic Place That Become an Everlasting Witness of the Old Batavia and the Modern Jakarta

One of the most iconic places to visit for learning about the history of a place is a museum, as does with Jakarta. With the characteristically designed building that represents the era of Dutch colonialism, it has become a most popular landmark that has been the icon of the Jakarta Old Town Area.

An In-Depth History of a City Hall That Has Been Standing in the Heart of Old Batavia from Colonial Era through the Nation’s Independence

The building was first built by order of Batavia’s governor, Jan Pieterszoon Coen in the year 1626. After undergoing renovation for a few times, it was inaugurated by Governor General Abraham van Riebeeck in 1710 and functioned as the central government of Dutch East Indies (VOC). From there on, the building has been a city hall that served for as long two centuries. The building, while it is functioning as a city hall, contained a main prison and another prison under the main building. The main prison is used to imprison prisoners that can afford to pay for their cells. While the underground prison for prisoners from more unfortunate backgrounds. With too little to almost no air to breath, and minimum light, many people died due to cholera, typhus, and lack of oxygen.

The Transition of Function of a City Hall to Become a Most Iconic Museum in the Jakarta Old Town Area

This building has been through many changes and serve different functioned through different eras and years, until it finally inaugurated as a cultural heritage after the Indonesian independence in the year of 1974. Not long after, the building officially became a museum called “Museum Sejarah Jakarta (Jakarta History Museum)” or also known by the locals as “Museum Fatahillah”, using the name of the founder of Jayakarta.

Find More Things You Can See in Jakarta Old Town to Learn the History of Jakarta by Walking Tour

It is best to walk around the Jakarta Old Town complex since the parking area is limited and you can explore and find more things that can only be found by walking. Come to Jakarta to see for yourself and join us on Jakarta Old Batavia Tour to find out. If you want to know more about the museum, let’s meet at the next part. See you around!

Experience A Joyful Visit at Makutharama Puppet Studio, An Iconic Place for Wayang Show in the Jakarta Old Town

Posted on by

Learn the Old Form of Entertainment of Indonesian People from Wayang During Walking Tour in the Jakarta Old Town

Long before technology exist, people find their own way to create entertainment by creating or modifying something. In Indonesia, the creativity of the people has take its form in “wayang”. Wayang is an authentic type of puppet from Indonesia. We have introduced you briefly about Wayang Museum in a previous article. Now, it is time for us to introduce a must visit place to watch the iconic wayang show.

Watch The Iconic Wayang Shows And Find Out The Moral of The Stories in the Iconic Studio in Old Jakarta Area

In the Old Jakarta studio not far from the Fatahillah Square, you can find the only studio and wayang store, which is the Makutharama Puppet Studio. They have a room with rows of seats to perform wayang shows. There is a wide fabric screen in the front, and the puppetteer will controll the wayangs from behind the screen.  The beautiful and meticulously crafted wayangs will create a beautiful shadow when the show is performed. What is unique about this studio is the pupetteer perform the show using English, so you don’t need to worry about language barrier in understanding the story. Due to the influence from the Hindu in the past, Hindu epics featured mosts in Indonesian wayang shows.

Other Things You Can See and Do in the Makutarama Puppet Studio in the Old Jakarta Area

Aside from watching wayang shows, you can also see various collections of wayangs that are displayed in the corners of the room. There are many colors, types, and sizes of wayangs, mostly are wayang kulit, a flat kind of puppet that made from buffalo skin, with some mechanisme in their hands and feet for the puppeteer to control them. Smaller designs of wayang that can be used as souvenirs also presents so if you want to buy them to take them home if you want.

Explore More Things and Find Out More Things to See and Do on Jakarta Old Batava Tour

Aside from wayang, explore more of the source of entertainment for Jakartans. You can visit museums, cycling, shopping and many more. Join us on Jakarta Walking Tour if you happen to visit the city. See you around!

Museum Wayang, A Cultural Heritage to Visit at Jakarta Old Town on Walking Tour in Jakarta

Posted on by

Historical Museums You Can Visit During Your Walks in the Jakarta Old Town

The most iconic place to visit during your stay in Jakarta to learn about the history of the city is the Jakarta Old Town area. You can find many historical buildings there, including museums. One of the museums that holds the most impactful historical value is the Fatahillah Museum, the building that stands behind the Fatahillah Square, the white building with many windows. Alongside the Fatahillah Museums, there is also a Puppet Museum or “Wayang Museum” that is located nearby. You can learn more about the culture of Indonesian in this museum.

A Brief History of Museum Wayang That Has Been Standing in the Jakarta Old Town Area for Hundreds of Years

The previous building of the museum is originally a church that was built in the year of 1640 in the Dutch colonial era when Jakarta was still called as “Batavia”. The church name was De Oude Hollandsche Kerk and changed to De Nieuwe Hollandse Kerk in the year 1808. The church was ruined due to an earthquake, and a new building was built at the same location, which is the Puppet Museum. It is inaugurated as a museum on August 13th, 1975.

Things You Can See and What You Can Learn inside the Historical Museum of Old Batavia

Based on the name, you can tell that this museum has a collection of “Wayang”. Wayang is a special kind of “puppet” that has a distinctive feature. It is usually made from cow skin, and a puppeteer or known as “dalang” will operate a show where they control the movements of wayangs in a wide background that reflecting shadows. The show is also called wayang or wayang show. As it is originally come from Javanese community, the show is usually using Javanese language. However, there are also different types of wayang aside from Javanese wayang, so the museum housed various types of wayang from all over Indonesia, even from abroad such as Europe Countries, Republic of China and Cambodia.

See Various Types of Wayang by Visiting the Puppet Museum in Jakarta Old Batavia Tour

To explore and learn more about what is inside the museum, come visit Jakarta and the historical museum to see for yourself. Join us on our Jakarta Old Batavia Tour and we will take you to find out what the city has to offer. See you around!

Diamond City Bridge as the Witness of the Old Batavia in the Past

Posted on by

Learn About the History of Jakarta Through Iconic Bridge in Old Jakarta Area

The most suitable place to reminisce Jakarta in the old days is by visiting the Old Town area. There are museums, monuments, and historical buildings that have preserved their original forms since the era before independence. Alongside Fatahillah Square, History of Jakarta Museum, and monuments, there is also an iconic bridge that has been around since the era of Dutch colonization, which is known as Diamond City Bridge or Jembatan Kota Intan.

A Brief History of Diamond City Bridge While Reminiscing the Old Batavia as You Pass by on Walking Tour in Jakarta

It is believed that this bridge was built by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the year of 1628. The name has been changing a few times until it’s finally called the Diamond City Bridge. In the past, there was a palace in the area. Later on, the Dutch came and built a fort with four towers near the palace, and the bridge is located near one of the towers named Diamond bastion of Batavia Castle. Therefore, the bridge is mostly known as “Jembatan Kota Intan” after Indonesian independence. In the past, the bridge can be lifted for ships to pass by the river. An unfortunate story about the bridge is there was a massacre by Dutch colonizers that caused the river washed with the blood of the victims for weeks. On September 7th, 1977 it was inaugurated as a cultural heritage by the Governor of Jakarta of that time, Ali Sadikin.

How to Reach the Diamond City Bridge Form the Jakarta Old Town

The bridge is relatively easy to reach as it is near the Old Town Square. You can reach the place by approximately 1.5 km by walking from the Kota Tua train station. You can arrive at the location around 5 minutes. The view is different if you visit it in the day or night. There are lighting installation to see at night. Despite the unfortunate history, it is not a scary place to visit in the present time.

Learn More In-Depth History of Jakarta by Joining Jakarta Old Batavia Tour

There is still more to explore about the bridge or other buildings nearby that also have precious historical value. Find out more about it by coming to Jakarta and joining our Jakarta Walking Tour. We will take you stroll around the city to reminisce about the life of Jakarta in the past. See you around!

Visit Maritime Museum to Learn History of Spices of the Old Batavia

Posted on by

A Must Visit Museum That Holds Maritime History of Old Jakarta

Along with the the Old Town Square area, there are many places nearby that you can explore by walking to learn the history of Jakarta, then and now. As there are Fatahillah Museum, Puppet Museum, and Museum of Fine Art and Ceramics, there is also another museum in the northern part of Jakarta that contains the maritime history of Jakarta, which is Maritime Museum or “Museum Bahari” that located near the Syahbandar Tower.

A Brief History of Maritime History That Witness Changes of Old Batavia As Years Pass By

This museum was built in the era of Dutch colonization in the year of 1718. This museum was once used as a storage by the Dutch East India Company to store spices that is about to be sold to sailors from India, China, and other countries in the European continent. As for now, it is functioned as a museum that hold the maritime history Indonesia. Inside, you can find various collections from traditional ships in various form, style, and sizes, to ships from the Dutch East India era. Other than that, also equipment that sailors use in the past such as navigation tool, anchor, binoculars, lighthouse, and cannon models. You can learn the history of spices throughout the years by reading boards and infographics inside the museum.

How To Reach the Historical Museum by Walking During Tour in Jakarta

The location of Museum Bahari is around 2 KM by walking from the Old Town area. Other alternatives are local transportation such as JakLingko, online motorcycle taxi, or bajaj. The museum opens almost everyday except Monday, from 8 AM to 4 PM. The ticket price is varied, from Monday to Friday it is IDR 10.000 for local tourists, and IDR 50.000 for foreign tourists.

Explore More of Maritime History of Jakarta with Jakarta Old Batavia Tour

There are more iconic and historical places that you can visit in the Jakarta Old Town Area in this modern time. You can learn the history, culture, and delicacies of the past and modern Jakarta with us. Join us on the Jakarta Old Batavia Tour package with Jakarta Walking Tour if you plan to visit the city. See you around!