Old Batavia on the way to revitalization in Jakarta

JAKARTA- For years, city and national governments have been talking about preserving, restoring and revitalizing Batavia –also named Kota-, the historical district of Jakarta, where the city was born over 350 years ago under the Dutch rule. So far, progress to give back to Batavia some of its former glory, has been painfully slow. Fatahillah Square, where the old city hall stands, has been cleaned and converted into a pedestrian area. But many buildings along the canal and in neighbouring streets are on the verge of collapsing while garbage are dragged into the main canal.

Cultural events and institutions are making however the area more lively. And the new Fatahillah Fiesta, hosted from March 13 to 16 will feature various art and cultural performances, Culinary Festival, Art exhibitions, and more. One of the special highlights of the Fatahillah Fiesta will be the Video Mapping show which will illustrate the history of Old Batavia.

Promised to be a spectacular occasion, the 12 minutes video mapping show will use the latest projection and lighting technologies. The video mapping show will be presented by Sembilan Matahari production whose founder, Adi Panuntun, recently was the winner of the Grand Prize Winner of the Zushi Media Arts Festival in Japan.

There will also be a contemporary fine art exhibition which will last for 6 months at the 2nd floor of the Fatahillah Post Office with paintings from 47 Indonesian art masters. Featuring traditional culinary delights, the culinary festival will highlight the Fatahilah Fiesta during the entire even time.

The event is presented by Jakarta Old Town Revitalization Corporation (JOTRC) in collaboration with Jakarta Endowment For Art & Heritage (JEFORAH). The two organizations were initiated by the Provincial Government of Jakarta, 2 State-owned enterprises, 9 private sector businesses, and also a number of cultural figures, activists, and communities.

O,n March 6, Lin Che Wei, Chairman of the Board Directors of JEFORAH commented that the “Fatahillah Fiesta is the first step in commencing a bigger program in the agenda of revitalizing the old Batavia complex” as reported beritajakarta.com. He also explained that there will also be a Visitor Center on the first floor of the Fatahillah Post Office intended for investors, architects, designers, urban planners, and others who wish to learn more about the Old Batavia Revitalization Programs. Head of the Office of Tourism and Culture of Jakarta, Arie Budhiman explained that the Old Batavia Complex plays a significant role economically, culturally and socially. The process of revitalizing the Old Batavia will not only involve the government but also the private sector and the general public.

He also hopes that after the Fatahillah Fiesta, which is the milestone in Old Batavia's revitalization program, there will be more parties attracted to become involved in the development of the area.”Old Batavia must not be neglected, we must preserve it since it is an important heritage site of Jakarta” he added.

In its heydays in the 16th century, Batavia was known as “The Queen of the East” and “the Jewel of Asia”. Its Sunda Kelapa harbour was abuzz with merchant vessels from Europe, China, India and from throughout the Indonesian archipelago, loading in and sailing away with precious nutmegs, pepper, tea, coffee, ceramics, cloths and other exotic products of the time. The warehouses were stacked with spices, tin and copper. The successful trade in Batavia filled the coffers of the Netherland’s Treasury.

Centre of the VOC Dutch East India Company’s administration was the Stadthuis (today it is the Museum Fatahillah) with its wide front plaza, surrounded by the former Court of Justice, banks and other important buildings. The entire area covers today 1.3 square kilometers of North and West Jakarta. Today many of the original buildings are still intact and the government has designated the Old Batavia as an important conservation area and revitalization programs are underway to ensure that the “Jewel of Asia” will exude its past glory once again.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews