Development of China town and settlment in Indonesia : Kampung Kapiten 7 Ulu in Palembang.

House of Worship, Kampung Kapiten 7 Ulu.

Chinatown is a city or area outside Chinese area where the majority of residents are ethnic Chinese. They migrated all over the world and then settled in that region like USA, England, South East Asia, and, other countries (wikipedia.com).

In Indonesia, Chinatown is known as Kampung Cina or Pecinaan. Pecinaan is a settlement of ethnic Chinese communities in Indonesia that existed long before the Europeans arrived.

Mostly,Chinatown is located in the middle of the city. Besides being a residence for the Chinese community, Chinatown is also the center of the city's economy. This is because there are many traders in the Chinatown area.

Chinatown is also often the location for Chinese New Year celebrations, such as prayers at the temple, Cap Go Meh events, lantern festivals, and even lion dance performances. As such, Chinatown have also special attractions for tourists to attend during festive sessions. 

Chinatown grew rapidly after the arrival of Europeans. The development of Chinatown in Indonesia was greatly influenced by the political and economic policy strategies of the Dutch colonial government.

The Chinese community is thought to have emerged during the Sriwijaya Kingdom. This is because
there had been a relationship between China and the Sriwijaya Kingdom. as a result of trading activities between the two countries. Chinese traders brought ceramics and silk fabrics to the city of Palembangformerly the capital of the Sriwijaya Kingdom, then these traders brought agricultural products and forestry from the Sriwijaya Kingdom such as resin, wood, sandalwood, and perfume.

Despite this, according to archaeological data regarding existence the Chinese community settlement
only recorded after a vacancy of power occurred in the post of Sriwijaya Empire or during the period  of the Islamic Kingdom in Palembang, around the middle of the century 16th.

The existence of Chinese community settlements during the Sultanate reside in raft houses.Regulations during The Sultanate admnistration obliges the entire foreign community, including the Chinese community in Palembang to form settlements on the Musi river with raft houses.

The Palembang Sultanate regulated the layout of settlements Chinese community in Raft houses for those who live in Palembang.Chinese community settlements were laid on the opposite side of Ulu or oppositewith the sultan's palace located inOpposite Ilir. Settling in Raft houses are meaning supervision at any time they are uprising, for Sultan it would be easy to immobilize them by burning the rafts.

In the post Sultanate government or in the period of Dutch colonialisation since 1823, Chinese community settlements experienced very big and influential changes on the development of their settlements in Palembang. 

Post-Esultanate, division regulation of land or land is no longer intended only for royal families
and native Palembang people only. Dutch Colonial Government in Palembang issued a permitting policy all Chinese community settlements who are in Raft houses for moving and building settlements on land. .

Chinese community settlements in the land was marked by building houses of Chinese community leaders, also called Kampung Kapiten in 7 Ulu Palembang. 

Tjoa Him Hin.

The Chinese village in the Seberang Ulu district, specifically in Kelurahan 7 Ulu Palembang, is the home of the leader of the Chinese community who was appointed by the Dutch government as Captain of China. The main task of the Chinese Captain is to take care of and look after the needs of the people in his village. The Chinese captain who was appointed by the Dutch colonialists in 1855 was Tjoa Him Hin.

 

Boat Jetty at Kampung Kapiten.

The existence of a settlement in the Kapiten village or the Kapiten's house is right on the south side of the Musi river and across the river from the Dutch Residential house which is to the north of the Musi river.The majority of the settlements are houses on stilts with a mixture of Chinese, Palembang and European architecture.

The Chinese village in Kelurahan 7 Ulu is a group of 15 Chinese-style stilt houses and has three core buildings. The first and third core buildings are residences or functioned as places of prayer, while the two that are between the first and third buildings are the official offices of the Chinese Captain who worked during the Dutch Colonial period in Palembang.

Source : Perkembangan Permukiman Masyarakat Tionghoa di Palembang Pasca Kesultanan Palembang (1852 -1942) (Sumbangan Materi Pelajaran IPS Kelas VIII di SMP Negeri 33 Palembang) by Eva Febrian and Yunani Hasan, Farida;