The Beating Romance of “Little Netherland”

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Tourists take pictures among the old buildings in the Old Town area, Semarang City, Central Java, Friday (08/23/2019). The arrangement of the Old City area has changed the face of the area into a major tourist destination in the city of Semarang.

Six years ago, Semarang’s Old Town was a dismal slum with abandoned buildings. With the involvement of many parties, the city administration pledges to improve the area gradually. Today, the “Little Netherland” has found its footing as a tourism magnet.

Under the park lights on Thursday (22/8/2019) evening, several people gathered in front of the Marba Building. They hummed and danced to the beats of angklung music played by buskers.

Around 50 meters from the Marba Building, which housed Semarang’s first modern supermarket and a shipping company office in the colonial era, a group of teenagers was taking selfies in front of the Spiegel Bar & Resto. Several couples sat around, enjoying the romanticism of the Srigunting Park, formerly a place for Dutch soldiers’ parades.

This is how most nights go at Semarang’s Old Town, which is gaining fame these days. “The place used to be so dark and abandoned. Now, it is very relaxing,” Kendal resident Mulyono, 36, said.

Tidal floods used to be a routine occurrence in the Old Town area. A revitalization project successfully transformed the former prostitution and gambling den into a bustling hub in Semarang.

East Semarang resident M. Ikhsanuddin, 26, said that the area’s old buildings, some of which date back to the 17th century, were unique attraction points. “[The area] is great not only for strolling around but also for taking photos in front of these old buildings. It’s very Instagrammable,” he said.

That evening, Ikhsanuddin was walking along a 4-meter-wide pedestrian walk on the Old Town’s arterial road. The pedestrian walk was bordered by poles to prevent motorists from using it.

The Old Town revitalization project involved many parties: the government, building owners and the private sector. The government, through the Public Works and Housing Ministry, allocated Rp 175 billion (US$12.62 million) to repair roads, drainage pipes, sidewalks and retention pools. Benches, trash bins and street lighting were also installed.

The improvements were combined with proper utilization of old buildings. The Semarang city administration, through the Old Town Area Management Body (BPK2L), tirelessly registered building owners and encouraged them to manage their buildings properly. BPK2L head Hevearita G. Rahayu said that 80 percent of the Old Town’s 116 buildings had been revitalized. Some of the buildings were self-managed by their owners while others were managed in cooperation with investors.

The old buildings were repurposed to fit with the modern lifestyle, including cafes, restaurants, tourism spots, hotels and art galleries. The most recently opened one was the Filosofi Kopi (Coffee Philosophy) shop. During the shop’s launching in March, Semarang Mayor Hendrar Prihadi said that he appreciated building owner Budiono for transforming the former swallow’s nest into a contemporary coffee shop.

Another popular attraction that opened two years ago was the Old City 3D Trick Art Museum, which is housed in a 1,000-hectare repainted former rice granary. Inside the building, visitors can enjoy a wide collection of visual illusions for selfies or group photos.

Museum general manager Wista Sushaeni said that the museum could hopefully support the development of “Little Netherland”.

The government plans to allow only bicycles as a transportation mode in the Old Town. Vehicle limitation is hoped to increase visitors’ comfort. “Learning from Russia, the Old Town will be more beautiful if it is free from motored vehicles and pollution. Buildings come alive and serve as medium for creativity. We are also planning car parks in the area,” Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said.

Culinary acculturation

Semarang has a rich past. The city was a global sugar trade hub in the early 19th century, when various cultures meshed: the Dutch, Chinese, Arabs and locals.

Romantic scenes are also abound at the legendary Toko Oen, around 1 kilometer to the west of Old Town. Upon entering the restaurant, you will be transported back in time. Antique lighting on the restaurant’s walls combined with the reddish-orange hue of the floodlights makes it feel as if the restaurant is in perpetual twilight. The eatery is famous as one of the must-visit spots in Semarang.

Among its loyal customers is Agus Djajaputra, 85, who now lives in California, the US. “Every year, I go to Semarang to gather with my old friends. We always meet here,” he said.

Agus said that there were almost no changes in the eatery’s façade and dishes between the 1950s and today. In the 500-square-meter restaurant, visitors can find antique calculators, grandfather clocks and wooden table sets. Male waiters wear colonial-style white shirts with vests.

The restaurant offers classical European, Chinese and local dishes. Poffertjes, bitterballen and bouillon soup sit side-by-side with gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce), tahu campur (tofu with vegetables and sweet and sour sauce) and fried rice.

“These are my grandmother’s recipes that we still maintain today. The menu is indische, a combination of Indonesian, Dutch and Chinese,” said Megaputri Megaradjasa aka Jenny, the third-generation owner of Toko Oen.

Referring to the city’s master plan, Old Town will be reorganized to be integrated with other historical areas that surround it, including Kampung Melayu, Pecinan, Kauman and Pasar Johar. The areas will be developed into cultural inheritance zones that support tourism. (ADITYA P PERDANA/GREGORIUS M FINESSO)