Did you know that the Glodok area, West Jakarta, has a long history? Check below!
Photo source: Ditjen Kebudayaan (Web)
The area known as Jakarta's Chinatown is called Glodok because in the past this area was surrounded by many waterwheels that emitted glojok-glojok sounds, which eventually inspired the area to change its name to Glodok. The area that is currently a business center was in fact a place of isolation for the Chinese nation.
As a Chinatown, the Glodok area is certainly more populated by people of Chinese descent. Most of them occupy a 2-story building. Usually, the upper floor is used as a residence, while the lower floor is used as a place to open a business.
Photo by Pradamas Gifarry on Unsplash
If you pay attention, the street names in the Glodok area contain a lot of positive values, such as Victory, Health, and Happiness. They believe, giving a good name, will lead them to a better life too. Some of the remnants of old buildings that can still be seen in this area include the Tobacco Merchant House and a number of shops that have existed for hundreds of years, as well as the Petak Sembilan Market.
1. Pasar Petak Sembilan
Your journey to explore Glodok can start here, a traditional market with Chinese nuances which is famous for its name Petak Sembilan. There are many unique here. First, the area in Petak Sembilan is divided into two parts, namely the dry part and the wet part. In the wet section, you will find sellers of vegetables, fruits, and meat. Meanwhile, in the dry section, you can buy various types of cakes, candies, and other dry snacks. Uniquely, in this market, there are also sellers that you might not find in other markets. Like traders who sell frog meat to turtles (turtles with soft shells).
2. Kelenteng Dharma Bhakti (Vihara)
Photo Source: https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Tek_Ie
Walking through Petak Sembilan Market, you will be amazed by the oldest temple in Jakarta, the Dharma Bhakti Temple. Located on Jalan Victory III, this temple was founded in 1650 by Lieutenant Kwee Hoen, formerly known as Koan-Im Teng. The Dharma Bhakti Temple is under the management of Kong Koan or the Chinese Council. Dharma Bhakti itself is its Indonesian name, while the Chinese still call it Jin De Yuan.
3. Gereja Santa Maria De Fatima
Photo source: Travel Kompas
Furthermore, if you see a church with a distinctive architectural style, it is the Church of Santa Maria De Fatima. This church was built in the form of a large building that was once the residence of a Chinese official with the roof shape of Ian Boe Heng (swallow's tail) and escorted by a pair of Shi Shi (stone lions).
One of the features of this church is the inscription in the form of Chinese characters. On the roof of the church is the name of the area where the previous owner came from, namely Nan An County, Quanzhou residency, Fujian province. Another inscription reads "Fu Shou, Kang, Ning" which means fortune, longevity, health, and peace.
Photo by anthoni askaria on Unsplash
4. Gang Gloria
Crossing Jalan Pancoran, try to explore the Gang Gloria area. This alley is officially named Jalan Pintu Besar Selatan III Number 4-6 Pancoran. At the entrance, you will see several Chinese sweets and sweets sellers. In Gang Gloria, there are many choices of typical Chinese culinary delights, such as Sup Pi Oh (a Taoco-spiced soup made from turtledoves or turtles), Soto Betawi, fruit vendors, Toko Kawi, and Gloria Foodcourt. There is one place that you must try when you visit Gloria Foodcourt, namely Mie Kangkung Si Jangkung.
Crossing Jalan Pancoran, try to explore the Gang Gloria area. This alley is officially named Jalan Pintu Besar Selatan III Number 4-6 Pancoran. At the entrance, you will see several Chinese sweets and sweets sellers. In Gang Gloria, there are many choices of typical Chinese culinary delights, such as Sup Pi Oh (a Taoco-spiced soup made from turtledoves or turtles), Soto Betawi, fruit vendors, Toko Kawi, and Gloria Foodcourt. There is one place that you must try when you visit Gloria Foodcourt, namely Mie Kangkung Si Jangkung.
Photo by anthoni askaria on Unsplash
4. Kopi Es Tak Kie
For coffee lovers, Es Tak Kei Coffee Shop is a must-visit place in Gang Gloria, Glodok. Apart from being an old coffee shop that has been around since 1927, there is also a variant of coffee that you won't find in any coffee shop. Even Joko Widodo had visited this coffee shop when he was still the Governor of DKI Jakarta.
The name Tak Kie itself comes from the word "Tak" which means a wise, simple person, who doesn't mess around. While the word "Kie" means easy for people to remember. So Kopi Es Tak Kie means a simple coffee shop that holds wisdom and is easy for people to remember. Es Kopi Tak Kie is a mixture of Robusta and Arabica coffee originating from Lampung, Toraja, to Sidikalang. For a glass of Tak Kie coffee, it costs from IDR 15,000 – IDR 17,000. This weekend exploring the Glodok area seems like a good idea.