At times, people abruptly stop in the middle of the way to marvel at street artists who pose as famous Indonesian figures. Adding to the commotion are pushcarts, palm readers and street tattoo artists.

The hustle and bustle of the area dates back to 17^th-century Dutch colonial rule. People would gather in the square for events thanks to its proximity to the Stadhuis, or city hall (now the Jakarta History Museum). Those events once included public executions.

In the Wisata Malam Kota Tua-Jakarta (Night Trip through Kota Tua-Jakarta) event on Oct. 12, historian Asep Kambali described the punishments of the era.

“The methods of execution at the time included hanging, beheading and flogging,” he said.

The worst, according to Asep, was dismemberment. The culprit’s hands and legs would be tied to four different horses, and the horses would then be made to charge in four different directions. “That was the cruelest punishment in Batavia. It was feared the most by the public because it was done [while the victim was still] alive,” he said.

Popular

PDI-P will likely be part of opposition: Ganjar

Indonesia one step from Olympics after beating South Korea

Bahlil leads task force to boost sugar, bioethanol production in Papua