If Malaysia has George Town, Indonesia has its own multicultural city that its roots go deep from the dutch colonialism, called Semarang. In this city, almost every building has a deep history and exudes the glory days of Europeans and traders who are mostly from China. The narrow streets, the street lamps, and the tall buildings and even the roads that aren鈥檛 typical of many Indonesian cities are still preserved until today. In an area called Kota Lama, or translated as Old town, we can see various buildings that are now either abandoned or looking for new owners. Many of these buildings look either European or have Chinese influences in its architecture. But the most enticing place would be its alleyways. They provide us with a look into the past, the memory of colonization and multiculturalism that exist in this area.
The plaza was quite lively, and it was as I expected; the barista from a cafe I went to earlier, told me the area is more lively during the afternoon. So, after I was settled, I changed into something more comfortable and explored the area. I was honestly scared but since these days I am in the mood for some adventure, I picked up my pace and went outside with my camera, blending in like other tourists whose eyes fixated on either their camera or their phone recording every inch that the place has to offer. From what I saw, this place mostly attracts east asian tourists as in this city, there is a massive tribute temple for a great Chinese explorer, Zheng He or the locals call it, cheng ho.
I walked through the plaza and saw many youngsters chatting around and a few photographers who were hunting pictures around the old town. It was mesmerizing to walk in that plaza. When I look at the architecture, designs and its placement, it鈥檚 not Indonesia, it鈥檚 another place. However, as soon as I look down with the traffic, vehicles and even the foot traffic, not to mention how sweltering it was, I know that I am still in Indonesia but only surrounded by mementos of another era.
There is a massive church that stood tall with a large garden and pigeons who were perching above its dome and flying around the buildings. A group of girls were feeding them and it was such a lovely sight. I even stopped and sat on the bench just to see their interaction.
I swear, you can spend hours dazed and mesmerized by the architecture around here. Somehow, it connects me to Cuba or Spain more than the Dutch architecture or atmosphere. It鈥檚 truly a feast for the eye especially if you like architectural photography. But if you like going off the beaten path like I do, exploring the hidden alleyways was worth it as well. In the alleyways you can find cafes, restaurants, local cuisines and even art galleries.
In the area, the buildings used to belong to either trading companies or some kind of bar and classic styled cafe. There are even cigarette factories that I stumbled upon which was intriguing as it was creepy yet mesmerizing. Some alleyways were either like this, showing that it has Chinese influence or something like this below, where it is a mixture of European and Indonesian architecture.
While I was exploring my last alleyway, I saw girls dancing for tiktok in such a creepy place. I admit, the place was quite unique but it was tad creepy and horror for a tik tok dance. While taking these pictures, I was mostly mesmerized. It鈥檚 my first time exploring this part of town and it鈥檚 nothing like I鈥檝e seen around in Indonesia. Even the previous part of town with European influence looks nothing like this. Semarang is truly an exception that managed to preserve its historical values unlike most areas that are known to have been renovated and renewed. This old town with its haunting windows and buildings offers attraction itself.
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