Palembang: Sumatra

Palembang is located on the island of Sumatra and its centrepiece is the Musi River also known as the Palembang River.

The river passes through the centre of the city dividing it into two parts. Palembang is a city of commerce and the river is a hive of activity and the second largest city in Sumatra.

All along the banks of the river houses are built on stilts and face the river rather than inland. As with most parts in Indonesia, when it rains then the river rises and floods the banks. This could account for the delightful nickname the4 city received – the ‘Venice of the East’. This probably arose from the amount of trade conducted in the city between India and China over the centuries.

As to the origins of the city’s name, it is thought to have derived from the word ‘limbang’ meaning panning for gold. In fact, People still dive in Musi for gold!.

Palembang is an interesting city and the best way to get around is by foot and this way you don’t miss all the colourful activities the city has to offer. They are a friendly people and always up for a good chat!. I liked the river merchants who ply their trade along from boats and very similar to those you see in Thailand.

If you want to shop then Jalan Sudirman is the pulse of the city and the best food places are on Jalan Veteran. One interesting point about the region is that it produces excellent textiles and has fine woven fabrics. Also, the city is proud of their unique dance form and one, Gending Srivijaya, which dates back to the 7th century.

There is myth about the city that says when emissaries were sent from the great kingdom of Majapahit to develop a colony on the East Coast of Sumatra, the ship sank near the mouth of the Musi. All that remained, which was a cargo of coconut, had to be used to reach the goal, so the coconut was cleft into two halves.

These two halves were used as vessels, and the four people saved, who were brothers, took their places in them two by two. So they sailed up the river, lurching (limbang-limbang) through the rippling of the water, and finally they reached a place, which they dubbed Palimbang, and with the passage of time people corrupted it to Palembang.

My favourite place [besides the river trade activity] is the Rumah Bari Museum which houses megalithic statues, sculptures from the Hindu and Bhuddist periods, as well as primitive ethnic crafts and ceramics. All of these are housed in several buildings.