Semarang

History

As much of city of the Pesisir , turned since centuries towards the outside world and the international business, Semarang is an old harbor site. Its development is related to the rise of Pesisir during the expansion of the international business, XVe at the XVIIe century, marked by the establishment of the first Chinese communities , the beginning of the Islamization of this part of Java and the foundation of the kingdom of Demak. The Chinese admiral Zheng He, which will carry out seven forwardings towards India, the Middle East and the East Africa between 1405 and 1433, makes several times stopover in Java. The tradition wants that it came in Semarang.

In second half of the XVIIe century, after the death of the Agung sultan, the kingdom of Mataram is mined by wars of succession. The kings are involved in debt at the VOC ( Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or " Dutch Company of the Eastern Indies "), based with Batavia, to finance their campaigns against the various rebellions. In 1677, the sovereign must yield Semarang guarantees some with the VOC.

At the XIXè century, the " city; murée" (strengthened palisades) shelters comparable Europeans and their many domesticity. Each kampung (districts) of the suburbs gathers in theory an ethnicity under the authority of traditional: Bugis, Chinese, Javanese, Malayan. The trade associations are distributed in the same way in the city. Semarang is more the big city of Java after Batavia. Ships go and come in its port from the other islands from the the Indies Dutchwomen, of Asia, of Africa, of Europe and America. The city is the outlet of the products of the center of Java. It is primarily exporting. The construction of a modern port with Batavia at the end of the XIXe century gradually will eclipse the role of Semarang, although it continues its urban development during the XXe century.

Culture and tourism

City of the Pesisir , Semarang affirms being the seat of oldest Chinese community of Java. A temple, Sam Poo Kong, is dedicated besides there to the Chinese Lord High Admiral Zheng He or Sam Poo. Each year, the population of Semarang celebrates the passage of Sam Poo Tay Djien, i.e. " the admiral Zheng He" , judicious to have taken place in 1405. A procession of carried out horses temple of Sam Poo Kong.

Certain speciality culinary of Semarang are of Chinese origin, like the lumpia Semarang , imperial pie with the vegetables which is not really any more Chinese but typically Javanese.

On the slopes of the Ungaran mount, in the south of Semarang, a whole of temples is called Gedung Songo or " nine constructions".

The other accessible archeological sites since Semarang are the crystallized (temples) following:

Muncul, sanctuary hindouist built doubtless with the 8th century,
Candirejo,
Pringapus, built towards 850,
Perot.

De Semarang, one can go in boat to the islands Karimun Jawa.

Semarang is reasonably equipped in terms with hotel trade. The chains indonésiennes " Ciputra" and " Santika" hold of the establishments with the international standards. L'" Semarang" ibis; in construction on Jalan Gajah Mada, one of the main arteries of the city, near the district of the businesses and of that very animated of Simpang Lima, will offer 180 rooms, of the conference rooms and the restaurant " Table".

Other information

There exists an international school with Semarang, the " International Semarang School". Teaching there is given in English and follows the " Primary Years Programme" (program of the primary education) of the International Baccalaureat Organization whose school is member (see http://www.ibo.org/pyp/).

Zheng He

In 2005, Semarang commemorated the 600e birthday of the passage of Zheng He. The admiral would have dug a cave on the hill of Simongan with Semarang, as remains provisional time that his ships are repaired. To live and meditate in a cave were was current practice in Java. During its stay, Zheng He would have also made build a mosque for the Chinese Muslim community of Semarang. This mosque would have been transformed thereafter into a temple by the inhabitants of Semarang. This temple is known under the name of Sam Poo Kong. One finds there a large statue judicious to represent Zheng He.

The inhabitants of Semarang, Chinese or not, honor Zheng He. Another temple, Tai Kak Sie, were built in order to pay homage to him. These two temples are places impossible to circumvent for the visitor of Semarang. They have attract each day of the hundreds of pilgrims, Indonésiens of Chinese origin or not, to ask protection Zheng He.

See also: Kitchens of Indonesia

Map-bms: Semarang

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