We’ve not entirely shaken off the jetlag, which has meant we’ve not done quite as much as we’d planned today. However, this morning we did spent several hours wandering around Chinatown which is only a short distance from our hotel. It’s a fascinating area but one of the least touristy Chinese districts compared to the Chinatowns in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur – which makes it rather special. We only bumped into a handful of other Europeans, and they were with all with a tour guide.
To get there we had to cross the chaotic Jalan Gajah Madah main road which is even more chaotic as the new line 1 MRT metro is being built underneath it by the ‘cut and cover’ method, which is taking a huge swathe of it out of commission. Fortunately, there was a footbridge right next to us which allowed views onto the site.
Walking North along the squeezed road we made it to Jalan Pencoran and the gateway to Chinatown.
Walking along the pavement here is like walking though a Chinese-themed tunnel as you traverse stall after stall selling traditional lanterns and decorations.
Swinging left down Jalan Kemenangan Raya we entered a narrow street packed with shops and stalls selling all sorts of foodstuffs. Fresh fruit and veg, fish and meat were in abundance, as were cakes and dry goods.
Much of the stuff I recognised, but some delicacies on offer had me completely foxed.
Needless the say, with the jumble and jostle of people and scooters you have to have eyes in the back of your head as you never know what you might encounter.
Finally, after constantly being distracted by photo-opportunities we arrived at a street corner and the location of the Dharma Bhakti Temple, a Buddhist Chinese temple dating from 1650. It’s a fascinating place with a cool, peaceful atmosphere far removed from the bustling streets below.
Each side of the main hall is lined with statues of Gods and important figures in Chinese history and mythology. You’ve heard of King Kong? Well, meet Tai Sing Kong!
Around the temple you’ll find people selling thousands of caged birds. These are birds with which to perform fangshen, a symbolic act of releasing them for good karma.
Religions isn’t just confined to temples, you’ll find street-corner shrines like this too…
Further along Jalan Kemenangan 3 is the Church of Santa Maria de Fatima, a Christian site expressed in Chinese architecture but with a far simpler style. It being dedicated to the Chinese community the mass is conducted in Mandarin.
Whilst the interior may be simple, they’ve made up for it with this creation outside!
For me, one of the pleasures in exploring areas like Chinatown is the streetlife. It’s a photographer’s dream.
Having dipped into Christianity we returned to earlier Chinese religion with a visit to Yayasan Wihara Dharma Jaya, a more traditionally arranged temple with 18 different shrines. The building dates from 1751 which is when it was built on the site of an earlier temple which was burned down by the Dutch in the 17th century.
These temples are no museums, they’re an important part of Chinese community life, with a constant stream of visitors and bands of caretakers who look after them. Chinatown is packed with small shops and businesses which employ thousands of people at all levels. It’s hard to work out how some people manage to scrape a living, but everyone turns their hand to something…
Finally, we made our way back to our hotel, only to find a nearby shopping mall had suffered a very serious fire in the early hours of the morning. We’d seen some smoke from our room this morning but we’d no idea just how bad the fire had been, it seems to have destroyed several upper floors of the Glodok Plaza. It’s a major shopping mall packed with electronics stores which has generated clouds of acrid smoke from burning goods as well as the building itself. We counted at around a dozen fire engines in attendance along with several media outlets.
Sadly, according to news report, four people have died.
Tomorrow we leave Jakarta by train to head to somewhere more relaxed, with a very different vibe. Yogyakarta, where we’ll be spending 3 nights in order to explore magnificent Hindu and Buddhist temples, along with the Sultan’s palace – and the town itself.
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Paul Bigland 
the creatures on ice are sea cucumbers.
Hi Alan, Thanks for explaining what they are. I was at a loss! Hope to see you next month, travel plans permitting…