Friday, October 24, 2014

Insight Bagansiapiapi


Chinese temples can be seen in almost every corner of the town center.Many of which belongs to each individual clansmen associations.The most historic one is the Klenteng Ing Hok Kiong where the annual celebration of Go Gwe Cap Lak was being held.Majority of the Chinese here practice Taoism as well as Buddhism.The official records normally states as Buddhist the main religion.


The surname "Soh" Clansmen Temple along Jalan Perwira has been honored to lead this year's Barge Burning Ritual procession.

A school band also participated in this auspicious event.Devotees as well as lion dance troupe from Vihara Sasana  group arrived early to perform prayers at Klenteng Ing Hok Kiong.
Immigration officers from Dumai also took time off to have a selfie in front of the temple.

The procession started from Klenteng Ing Hok Kiong and proceeded to Jalan Perdagangan which is the main business hub ending near an open space where the replica barge would be anchored.This is where the main highlight of the Ritual Bakar Tongkang comes to an end.

The Annual Barge Burning Festival is a national event where top officials throughout Riau Province will be present to officiate the event.

An open air evening of entertainment running till midnight with fireworks display during the Go Ge Cap Lak festival features artistes from Taiwan and Malaysia performing for three consecutive nights.
The main stage was sponsored by a local tycoon whose name was synonymous to the bolts and moulding industry in Indonesia.

Sweet Bagansiapiapi students dressed in traditional Qing Dynasty costume and Japanese kimono were performers during the night concert. 



Lion Dance troupe from the Vihara Buddha Sakyamurni  group with the lead role fan dancer by Roy Murdiono whom I met earlier while at Wisma Srivijaya guesthouse.


Huge joss sticks  donated by devotees from all across Indonesia


The local Malays also came to witness this special celebration.
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Charming girl students of Gita Spansa school. The Drum Band Gita Spansa students welcoming the Ruler of Riau Province during the Ritual Bakar Tongkang Festival. Jumaidi,an official at the governor's office dressed in Bugis costume. Decorative 'becak' to be use for ferrying dignitaries during the festival.

SMP Bintang Laut,the most popular school in town.Met students Valentino,Vanessa and Feby Cherolina.

SMP Negeri 1 Bangko,an upper secondary national type school has a unique pair of lion at the entrance to the school's block.
Normally you do have a pair of lion in front of Chinese temples but this one seemed strange,must have a historical value behind it.

Masjid Al-Ikhlas,the grand mosque

Apart from the usual pushcart vendors,coffee shop and restaurants in shoplots,most of the food outlets in Bagansiapiapi were operated in front of their dwelling houses.A reflection of original home cooked recipe.
Pricing each at 15,000 Rupiah,the wonton noodles is one such popular culinary.
As for morning breakfast,the signature food of the town is the Nasi Curry.


Famous seafood restaurant in town,Ang Kau Ban Restaurant has been here for generations.


SD Negeri 001 is a national type primary school.
Mandarin language being taught at a kindergarten .and primary school operated by the Pengurusan Kristen Methodist

Colorful batik children garments designed to suit the local taste Made in Bagansiapiapi.


Catholic church St Petrus & Paulus in Jalan Mawar just nearby the main Chinese Temple.
A football stadium in Jalan Sumatera Laut with seating capacity less than fifty spectators.
Motorized trishaw has now being use .

Being invited into Ng Ah Beng's house just opposite Wisma Paradise guesthouse which was my first engagement with the locals.A single storey wooden house sprucing up for this Go Cap Lak Festival.As usual in a traditional Chinese house,the main hall will be the altar with respective deities as well as ancestral tablets.
Traditional Chinese village houses like this is facing extinction with modernization and it will be a great opportunity to still see this in Bagansiapiapi.The people here spoke mainly the Hokkien dialect.   

A handful of street boys could be seen around town where they prefered to use the quiet streets as their playgrounds.They were quite entertaining and do not make a nuisance out of it.
For some folks,earning a living through collecting of recycled goods was part of their daily life after all they also ensured that the streets were kept clean.

Bird nest harvesting buildings were a common sight throughout the town.It seemed that the chirping sound of birds were played through an in house sound system 24 hours a day.The skies was very clear with no sign of swallow birds flying around.Seemed strange as the birds must have preferred to come after dusks and with too many nesting place to choose.Most ideal buildings were those with cemented facade.

Getting out of Bagansiapiapi is very convenient with the availability of many minivans.Permata Bunda is one such service located at the 3rd mile Jalan Pahlawan(which is the main road leading in and out of town)This is the owner of the business who has his family house just behind.
Van departure hours were at 7:30am(to cater those wishing to reach Dumai Ferry Terminal early)
Another depart at 9:30am,reaching Dumai just on time which is the ferry departure time.
Beside his servicing outlet is also the normal Bagansiapiapi to Dumai bus stop terminal.Departure time also 9:30am and is usually packed.Expect many stops along the way as well as loading of consumer goods.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Accomodations in Bagansiapiapi.


Moving around the small town of Bagansiapiapi was very easy as the main commercial activity area is around Jalan Perdagangan and Jalan Sumatra area.

There were many 'becak'(motorized trishaws) and some 'ojek'(motor taxi) readily available..To most backpackers,it will be just on foot exploring every corners of the street.

The Drum Band(DB) Gita Spansa Group from SMP Negeri 1 Bangko school welcoming some dignitaries attending the Barge Burning Ritual Event.

The building in the background is Dekranasda(Dewan Kerajinan Nasional)or National Handicraft Center along Jalan Gedung Nasional displaying locally made handicrafts,silks,'songket' and many unique crafts which were also for sale.

The local municipality secretariat beside the Bupati (regent)office along Jalan Gedung Nasional.

Bagansiapiapi is the capital of Kabupaten(regency) Rokan Hilir in Kecamatan(district) of Bangko and part of the Riau Province.

The executive of the province is a governor who will be elected by the electorate every five years term.







Banner welcoming the new governor(standing left) of Riau province to the Ritual Bakar Tongkang.
Standing beside is the Regent of Rokan Hilir.







Trilingual road sign  having Bahasa Indonesia,Bahasa Arab and Bahasa Tionghoa.
Very exclusive and helpful for foreign tourists.











Hotel Bagan
24,Jalan Sentosa
Tel:0767-21888
Rates:200,000 - 500,00Rp
Located in town center.










 Hotel Kades Bagan
39-B,Jalan Sentosa
Tel:0767-23139
Rates:250,00 -  400,000Rupiah
Directly opposite Hotel Bagan.









Pasar Pelita along Jalan Perdagangan.
Morning market while there were many individual stalls selling garments,daily necessities and many others within the complex.

Bagansiapiapi is the third largest fish producer in the world in the early twentieth century as it has a seabed within the Sunda Platform.Unfortunately a dwindling sea harvest with the restriction on trawlers activities has affected her ranking.

The population consensus  based on year 2010 figures stood at 82,500.Most have migrated to bigger cities across the archipelago in search of greener pastures.



Wisma Dragon building along Jalan Perdagangan,Chinatown area.
This is also a hotel which I initially thought was a Chinese restaurant.

For the Wisma category,room rates were normally 150,000 Rupiah onwards.

Almost all hotel rooms in town including those of Wisma were fully booked six months ahead of any Chinese festivals,so it would be advisable to check it out while in Dumai before getting here.











Hotel Horison along Jalan Perdagangan.
Tel:0767-21001
Rates from 200,000 Rupiah







Most of the residential houses were single storey made of wooden planks supported on concrete stilts.The nature of land mostly of peat soil.

Since Bagansiapiapi in near the Rokan River bank,the chances of flooding  from an overflowing river might occur.








Hotel Mulia,
Jalan Perdagangan.
Among the new high rise building in town,wonder whether it's an affiliate of Hotel Mulia in Sendayan,Jakarta.









Visitors to Bagansiapapi will notice that most of the buildings have upper level extensions which served as swiflets houses.The chirping sound of swiflet birds can be heard all over the town.

Swiflet farming has now become the economic contributor and Indonesia is the largest producer of swiflet nests.

Swiflet Farming is a multi million business throughout SoutheastAsia mostly found near the costal plains.
Hon Yen(Bird's Nest Island) near Nha Trang in Vietnam, Mekong Delta region right till Khanh Hoa in the north with many limestone hills and coastal islands is the second major producer.

The 'yen-wo' (bird's nest soup) is a Chinese herbal delicacy believed to have the capability of  enhancing body metabolism and immune system.



Wisma Srivijaya off Jalan Sumatra.
1,Jalan Sedar
Tel:0767-21613, 0823-81125119
Rates from 150,000Rupiah
The upper level of this building is the swallow nest farming house as seen in above photo.








Wisma Paradise
13C,Jalan Perwira
Tel:0767-21917
Rates:from 150,000 Rupiah
Near the Soh Clansmen Ancestral Temple.











Hotel Kesuma
owner Mr Tong Hok(0812-9060724)
22b,Jalan Manggis
Tel:0767-21111/fax:0767-21999
h/p:0812-75669938





 Wisma Cahaya Baru.('Xin Guang')
A new hotel just started a few months old,owned by one Teo family.
Off Jalan Perdagangan access through a small lane
Lacks publicity and vacant rooms available.
Room rates a bit exorbitant,quoted by the motor taxi man(agent).No receptionist at counter.
Rates:450,000Rupiah.


Most of the dwelling houses in Jalan Pedagangan have near similar design with a bridge road leading to main entrance.
This must be a belief of 'Chi',Chinese feng-shui energy of flow.A welcoming strength nourished by fresh,clear and freely flowing strength.
A cheerful looking house indeed.






New coat of pain and sprucing up for the festival.
Wording inscription on red paper cut out,each placed parallel  beside the main door is a very common sight among most Chinese houses maintaining the old tradition.
Inscriptions such as peace,harmony,good fortune or health are the usual headings.






Old shoplots similar to those ideas imported from Tong Ann in Fujian Province.
There's limited nightlife activity after dark and the locals normally hangout around coffeeshops and food stalls .
Other places to stay:

Wisma Mawar,Tel:0767-22346 (near junction of Jln Perdagangan/Jln Gedung Nasional)

Hotel Mahera:17,Jln Utama Tel:0767-21819

 Nearby Places of Interest:
1) Sinaboi -55km,an upcoming port city.

2) Pedamaran-17km,a new cable bridge linking mainland to Berkey Island.

3) Kubu-23km,Pulau Halang part of this district,get there by boat and watch the beautiful sunset.

4) Panipahan-60km,go there by boat,another place with Chinese community,some hotels available.


Pulau Jemur(日姆尔岛),45km,an island in the middle of Malacca Straits.
Green leatherback turtle landing spot,Old World War II Japanese fort,Chinese Temple,beautiful sandy beaches and great snorkeling.It's an uninhabited island and the local government is inviting foreigners to develop the island as a tourist destination.Rent a speedboat for day trip,two hours from Bagansiapiapi or One hour journey from Panipahan.