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Jakarta Post

Cirebon: An alternative weekend getaway

Entrance of the Kasepuhan Palace in Cirebon, West Java

Andreas D. Arditya (The Jakarta Post)
Cirebon, West Java
Sun, March 3, 2013

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Cirebon: An alternative weekend getaway

Entrance of the Kasepuhan Palace in Cirebon, West Java. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)

Just like its rich and colorful batik, Cirebon, the jewel of West Java, has a history going back centuries, a history interwoven by its port culture, sultanate traditions and religious teachings.

The city is located only around three to four hours’ ride by train or bus from Jakarta, making it an ideal alternative as a weekend trip out of the capital.

Cirebon is filled with historical buildings; the oldest palace is the Pakungwati Palace, which was built in 1452 by Prince Cakrabuana, a descendant of the Pajajaran royal line, a large kingdom in Sunda, an area now known as West Java.

Cakrabuana’s predecessor was Syarif Hidayatullah, also known as Sunan Gunung Jati, one of the Wali Sanga — the nine propagators of Islam in Java, who spread the religion in the 15th century.

Extensions to the Pakungwati Palace were built in 1479 and 1529.

(JP/Andreas D. Arditya)
(JP/Andreas D. Arditya)The Cirebon Sultanate was later divided into the Kanoman Sultanate and Kasepuhan Sultanate in 1677. The Kasepuhan sultans reside at the Pakungwati Palace. The Kacirebonan Sultanate later splintered from the Kanoman Sultanate in 1807.

Cirebon is also famous for its colorful batik with the central production located in a village named Trusmi. Trusmi , in the Plered district, is so pivotal to Cirebon batik that the name is synonymous with the local traditional cloth.

The Trusmi batik craft center is the biggest of its kind in West Java. The center is home to around 700 batik-makers who have been engaged in the profession for generations.

The batik craft in Trusmi is estimated to date back to the 14th century, growing along with the Kasepuhan Sultanate.

A batik pattern is applied on a piece of fabric at Trusmi batik village. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)
A batik pattern is applied on a piece of fabric at Trusmi batik village. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)
Batik craftsmanship originally developed within the palace circle and spread to the wider community along the coastal areas. Trusmi batik is known for two motifs — namely the keratonan (royal) and pesisiran (coastal).

While in Cirebon, be sure to also taste the local delicacies. Among the signature dishes is nasi jamblang — locally known as sega jamblang, which is a dish consisting of rice wrapped in teak leaves and an assortment of side dishes including fried tempeh, tofu, chicken, omelet, salted fish, meat stew, potato fritters and sambal .

Another trademark dish is empal gentong, a curry-like beef soup with a spicy, savory flavor and usually served with steamed rice.

Cirebon is also known as the city of shrimp (rebon means shrimp in the local tongue). Shrimp paste (terasi) and shrimp chips are among the most famous shrimp products coming from the town.

Sapta Nirwandar, deputy tourism and creative economy minister, has said the government is preparing the city for more tourism in the future.
People dine on nasi jamblang dish at a street establishment. (Courtesy of the Cirebon Tourism Agency)
People dine on nasi jamblang dish at a street establishment. (Courtesy of the Cirebon Tourism Agency)

“If Bandung is crowded, people from Jakarta can opt to go to Cirebon,” Sapta says.

State-owned train operator PT KAI president director Ignasius Jonan said his company would also help boost Cirebon tourism by providing more premium class trains in the coming years.

The company currently operates three luxurious train cars called Kereta Wisata (tourist train). It plans to add six more in the next two years.

Each car, adorned with a wooden interior and traditional decoration, has 19 to 22 seats and facilities like mini bars, TVs and karaoke sets.

“Cirebon is one of the top two destinations, besides Yogyakarta, for our premium class coaches,” Jonan said.

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