The New Face of Banda Aceh

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Residents enjoy the evening on the bank of the Aceh River in Peunayong, Kuta Alam district, Banda Aceh, on Saturday (11/01/2020). Since it received a major facelift and was turned into a culinary spot, the area attracts a larger number of visitors.

A culinary area along the banks of the Aceh River in Peunayong, Kuta Alam district, Banda Aceh, Aceh, was crowded on Saturday night (11/1/2020). Residents feel at home in the new culinary spot.

Called the Peunayong Culinary Riverwalk, the night hawker center stretches some 250 meters on the riverbank and measures about 10 meters in width. Fluorescent lights add to the vibrant night atmosphere.

Visitors can eat a variety of food and sip Arabica coffee while enjoying music served by local bands. Waiters go back and forth delivering orders and taking back empty plates from customers’ tables.

"It\'s fun here," said Fitri Juliana, 38, a resident of Banda Aceh, who visited the place for the first time. From her place, she could watch fishing boats move up and down the river.

This area next to the Peunayong Fish Market used to be a slum. After the tsunami waves hit Banda Aceh and other parts of Aceh on the Sunday morning of Dec. 26, 2004, the Peunayong area, the business center of the city, was in ruins.

In the Aceh River, thousands of bodies of tsunami victims were scattered among the rubble. Witnessing the severity of the damage at the time, it felt like Peunayong was gone forever. At least 150,000 people died in the disaster.

However, the tsunami also accelerated peace talks between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government of the Republic of Indonesia, leading to an agreement signed on Aug. 15, 2005. Once the agreement to end the conflict that had been going on since 1976 was signed, post-disaster recovery and reconstruction proceeded more quickly.

During the 2005-2009 period, domestic and foreign funds disbursed for the development of Aceh reached Rp 106 trillion. From 2008 to 2019, Aceh received special autonomy funds amounting to Rp 65 trillion.

The coastal areas of Aceh lashed by the tsunami rose relatively quickly. Banda Aceh is now showing a new face. In addition to the more beautiful areas around the Aceh River and Daroy River, other tourism objects have also been developed.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Residents flock Ulee Lheue Beach in Banda Aceh city, to enjoy the twilight on Sunday (12/1/2020). This area, destroyed by a massive tsunami in 2004, has since become a favorite site for residents to unwind while watching the sunset.

On Sunday (12/1) afternoon, the tourist area along the road to Ulee Lheue Harbor and Gampong Jawa Beach was full of visitors. Ulee Lheue and Gampong Jawa Beach are beautiful places to watch the sunset.

A street seller of grilled sweetcorn and drinks, Ali Ahmad, 33, said more people were visiting the Ulee Lheue area, so his corn cobs and drinks sold out quickly and he could earn Rp 300,000 within four hours.

Local food

Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman said one of his goals was to beautify the city so that residents and tourists were comfortable. Overpasses, bridges and city parks are decorated with colorful accessories.

A fountain was built in the park in front of the town hall. "I want to beautify the city, so that it is pleasing to the eye, so that tourists feel at home here," Aminullah said.

Rp 21.9 billion in funds from the Public Works and Housing Ministry were allocated for the improvement of the Aceh riverbank. In 2020, development will continue with a budget allocation of Rp 13 billion. The improvement of the Daroy riverbank, which is also funded by the Public Works and Housing Ministry, has a budget of Rp 26.3 billion. For the construction of the Ulee Lheue Culinary Park, the Banda Aceh city administration has earmarked Rp 10.4 billion.

This area is projected to become a culinary tourism center in Banda Aceh.

The development of Peunayong Culinary Riverwalk, Krueng Daroy and Ulee Lheue Culinary Park are included in an overall program of the Banda Aceh city administration named Waterfront City. This area is projected to become a culinary tourism center in Banda Aceh. "We are taking the initiative, lobbying the central government for funds. If we relied on our own city budget, we wouldn\'t make it," said Aminullah.

Managing the potential

As the capital of Aceh province, Banda Aceh chose to focus on being a service city. The local administration seeks to develop the area’s potential to drive the economic growth of citizens. Tourism is currently a priority, with the number and quality of tourist destinations being increased. This has helped increase the number of visitors to Banda Aceh from 236,032 people in 2014 to 504,000 in 2019.

The increase in tourist visits has seen the number of hotels and other accommodation providers in Banda Aceh grow from 39 in 2010 to 77 in 2018. Several shopping centers are under construction.

Dark memories of the former conflict area had made people hesitant to visit Banda Aceh. However, the more vibrant face of Banda Aceh is seeing more people visit the city today.

Religious tolerance in the city has also grown, so much so that the Home Ministry granted the Banda Aceh city administration an award as the best city for managing social conflict in 2019.

Openness and a willingness to change can turn Banda Aceh into a more beautiful and comfortable city.