The Pearly Pearl Museum Benteng Heritage

Remember the Jakarta By Train website that I mentioned earlier? The web creator - Anggara - decides to make a gathering of his web readers and his twitter followers regularly, in the form of a tour toward some unique destinations in Greater Jakarta, using commuterline. The gathering's called #TourKRL. 

A few months ago (disclaimer: this is a very very late post, ha!) me and Ilma joined the #TourKRL to Museum Benteng Heritage in Tangerang.

at Tangerang Station with fellow #TourKRL members 

It's fun to meet strangers (turn friends) with the same interest! I rarely found people who's fond of museum before :(

We then walked into Pasar Lama area. This crowded area near Cisadane River, is believed as the initial settlements of Chinese ethnic in former Batavia. The initial settlers are part of Admiral Cheng Ho's followers in 15th Century. These settlers have since become known as Cina Benteng, or Chinese of the Fort, as Cisadane River becoming the site of Dutch Fort in 17th Century. Today, the Cina Benteng community are living in harmony with their Moslem neighbors. 

Cisadane Riverside

on our way to the museum

What's so special of the Museum Benteng Heritage is, it's a private owned Museum and Banten's filthy corrupt government (Ratu Atut and her clan *sigh*) do nothing to help it. Museum Benteng Heritage is founded by Bapak Udaya Halim, an education figure in Tangerang, in order to preserve and appreciate Chinese cultures and traditions.

Bapak Udaya is a Chinese Benteng descendant who lived in Pasar Lama when he was a kid. Much later, he bought one of the abandoned shop-house there, renovated it while keeping it as original as possible, and turned it into museum.

I can't imagine how much Bapak Udaya spent in the restoration. He had to travel here and there to find Chinese Benteng related heritages that spread across Asia. Not to mention the museum's impressive decor that got awarded by FIABCI (International Real Estate Federation). Our guide also told us that some artifacts and collections had to be separated into tinier pieces because Bapak Udaya and his family carried them on a commercial planes, and Bapak Udaya's brother (who's apparently an architect) had to reconstruct them.

The museum is quite small but its' interior is sooooo pretty. Too bad taking photo is restricted inside the museum :( You can find out about the museum here.

posing in the museum lobby

at the Museum's terrace

The museum also have a heritage walk program around Pasar Lama area. It's kinda pricey but totally worth it. After all, idealistic people like Bapak Udaya should have to be supported, right? Our government will do nothing about culture and tradition or tourism. I'm kind of irritated to see area in front of the museum is filled with garbage from the traditional market that hasn't been cleaned yet. Our guide said that the museum already complained and asked for some acts of the government to fix it but no actions have been taken yet :(

Near the museum, there are also Klenteng Boen Tek Bio, the oldest Chinese temple in Tangerang.

at one of Klenteng Boen Tek Bio's gate

Around May or June, a festival named Pe Cun is held in Cisadane River. There will be dragon-boat race and Barongsai procession. And not to mention the yummy Chinese foods! :9

I also have another travel stories with the fellow #tourKRL member. 'Til the next posts!

Credits: some of writing materials are taken from this.