Future culinary hub: Two foreigners stroll down the Old Town’s Jl. Pintu Besar Utara in West Jakarta. The street will be turned into an evening culinary hub starting June 27. JP/J. Adiguna

Tourists visiting Jakarta’s Old Town will soon be able to relish a new activity rather than just visit museums and heritage buildings, as the Old Town Association and the West Jakarta municipality will launch a night tourism event next month.

Occupying the pedestrian zone along Jl. Pintu Besar Utara, the night tourism area will be opened to the public on June 27, to celebrate the city’s anniversary, which falls on June 22.

Ella Ubaidi of the Old Town Association said Friday the night tourism event would not just be a one-time festivity, but would eventually happen every night, to give the Old Town a new atmosphere of excitement. The event, scheduled to run from 5 p.m. to midnight, is expected to promote local culinary and traditional arts, which have been assimilated in the Old Town for years.

“Most people are only familiar with museums and heritage buildings when they visit the Old Town. In fact, they can discover many cultures,” Ella said, adding the Old Town was a melting pot of various traditions, including Chinese, Portuguese and Arabic.

“There are still many things to explore in the 840-hectare area of the Old Town, not just old buildings, and we want visitors to see them,” she told The Jakarta Post.

She said most tourists did not frequent local food businesses or watch traditional art performers because until now, they were still spread out around the Old Town’s fringe.   

“We will gather them for the night tourism event, including food businesses in the Chinatown area, traditional martial art and Chinese lion dance performers, as well as Betawi cokek dancers.”

Chinatown boasts a number of unique delicacies ranging from sweet cakes to exotic turtle soup called pi oh. The delicacies are sold in stalls, shops or even houses in alleyways like Gang Petak Sembilan. However, not many people know every nook and cranny of the area. It is indeed a destination for the intrepid culinary buff.

Ella said the event would bring the Old Town’s secret treasure to the center stage. However, the association also welcomed participants from other communities outside the association, she said.

Tents and stages would be built along Jl. Pintu Besar Utara, including the area in front of the Jakarta Historical Museum, or Fatahillah Museum, and the Puppet Museum.

Visitors coming to the night tourism spot will be able to park their vehicles in the nearby area on Jl. Kunir and Jl. Kali Besar Timur.  

She said preparations were still underway, especially to develop the design of the night tourism spot.

“The preparations have been very optimal, including the area’s security.”

In the initial phase of the night tourism event, there will be 100 participant booths, Ella said.

“In the long term, we expect to add more booths to the night tourism area. It’s just a matter of time.”

In the future, the event’s organizer will also expand the area to the front of Batavia Hotel on Jl. Kali Besar.

“We will also invite the managements of surrounding museums to remain open during the night tourism event because it will be a good opportunity for them to increase their visitor numbers,” Ella said.

As the festivity is likely to attract unregistered vendors, the event’s organizer has prepared a place for them around the parking area.

“They will not be allowed to enter the event area, but they can still set themselves up around the parking lot,” she said.

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