Yogyakarta: Malioboro, the World I Know

the legendary street sign

Born and raised in the Special Region of Yogyakarta and spent some years during my university times in a family house in an alley in Malioboro Street has made me took this place and its surrounding for granted. During those years I spent so much time down the street. I knew so well where to buy what: certain supermarket for groceries, a particular

becak, in the supposedly one way street

store for my favourite CDs and cassettes (yes, it was the time of side A/side B), a Chinese drug store sold herbal medicines for my typhoid, and my favourite bookstore ever (Sari Ilmu it is!).

my most favorite building in Malioboro

Time flies, years passed. The house in the alley has survived several renovations, although we’ve lost almost all of the neighbors because the alleys had turned into a string of cheap hotels. While Malioboro is still being Malioboro, ‘a street with many shops in the center of Yogyakarta’ (a quote from a couple of foreign tourist asked for direction), despite of the brand new stores, and more overly populated by retailers and visitors.

another well-maintained building

Now, after all those years away from Yogyakarta, I returned to the city with some friends. And when I see this place, I just realized that I have returned as a new me, with a new point of view. The historical point of view I use in Jakarta. Now, I saw things I never saw before, and pay attention to things I ignored before. Things that create an overwhelming feeling and make me love Malioboro even more.

We stayed in a hotel at Dagen Street, one of the alleys in Malioboro with several new affordable hotels. Just like many years back, I woke up to the sound of the trans-Java train coming in to the Tugu station. As dawn breaks, we walk out of our hotel towards Malioboro Street. The city was still dark and empty; the smell of freshly brewed tea filled the air.  Some becak drivers slept in their vehicle, and sidewalk vendors cleaned up their stall.

the gate of Dagen street

The history of this area was started in 1755 and named Secodiningratan, after the owner a Chinese Captain, with a Javanese name Secodiningrat. This is a strategic area and gradually turned into a Chinatown which in the early 20^th century became a very important one, with a street connecting the Tugu train station, a big market (Pasar Beringharjo, the biggest market in Yogyakarta), the Dutch area (consists of Vredeburg fort, the Dutch Governor’s house, and a complex of Dutch official buildings) and ultimately the Sultan Palace. The street is now famous as Malioboro (although it consists of two streets: Malioboro and Ahmad Yani).

We walked slowly to the south. I took my time to observe the buildings along the street. Almost all of them have been functioned as stores. The Chinatown has long gone. But I could still see the remnants of the Chinese architectures of the buildings. Some of them had been renovated to the new styles, but the traces of the triangle roofs still could be observed. While some owners still maintain the old building, although the whole appearance is now covered with store banners.

very interesting: one building divided to three stores

We continued walking under some first sunlight of the day, and soon arrive in Pasar Beringharjo. There’s no one in front of the supposed to be super-busy market, Maybe it’s because of the kiosks that sells groceries are in the backside of the market so the activities are concentrated there in the early morning, while the front kiosks that sells clothes won’t be open until 8 or 9 a.m.  This traditional market has been there since 18^th century following the existence of Yogyakarta Hadiningrat. The name of Beringharjo was given by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono (the King of Yogyakarta) in 1925 when the permanent building was erected.

Fort Vredeburg

To the south of the market, there’s a big fort named Vredeburg or ‘Peace Fort’ as a symbol of peace between Dutch and the King of Yogyakarta, although the Dutch has a cannon aimed at the Palace. First built by the first King Yogyakarta in 1760 then given to the Dutch, this large fort is now in a very good condition and functioned as a museum.

Monumen Serangan Umum 1 Maret

In the south-east corner of the fort, there’s a monument to commemorate March 1^st 1949 Affair when the Indonesian National Army attacked the Dutch army in the fort and took control of the city which proved the existence of The Republic of Indonesia. A reference mentioned that the monument was built in 1973, before being renovated a few years ago. However I could swear I never saw this monument before the renovation. Maybe it was really there all those times, it was just abandoned or covered by bushes, or maybe I was just too indifferent to notice. 

Despite of the height, this monument was protected by a high fence, so I climbed a bench to get a better view and snapped some pictures.

Gedung Agung, the Presidential Palace

Crossing the end of the Malioboro Street to the east, there’s Gedung Agung, the Presidential Palace right in front of the fort. The construction of this magnificent structure was finished in 1869 and served as the official house of the Dutch Governors in Yogyakarta. When Yogyakarta became the temporary capital city of Indonesia, Soekarno and his family lived here, and that’s how it became one of the Presidential Palaces.  

The sunlight was softly falling when we take some pictures in front of the fort, the monument and the palace. With us, there’s a couple of tourist and a photographer. I could only guess he’s a professional from the long lenses attached to his DSLR and a backpack full of other lenses.

one of the European building

He then turned left towards the Sultan Agung Street while we freely pass the crossroad to the Sultan Palace. A few minutes later, this intersection would be so busy we wouldn't be able to cross it recklessly like this. Anyway, since my childhood this intersection is always my favourite because it is where the big European buildings are. Those buildings was constructed by none other than the Dutch, and now functioned as Post office, Bank of Indonesia and other government offices. I always dream of entering those buildings or at least taking their pictures, but I never got a chance (or once again I just take it for granted).

the gate to the square and Sultan Palace

the euphoric me in front of the kiosk

We continued walking towards the North town square and the Sultan Palace. Commoners are allowed to enter the Palace except on Fridays and certain ceremonial days. The palace consists of a building complex and two town squares, the north and the south. It’s a very large complex and now the sun is getting higher, so we halted and returned to the main street. Therefore, just in front of the main gate to the town square, there’s a newspaper kiosk with some collections of used magazine, so I got too excited and bought some back issues of National Geographic and Disney’s comic books.

gudeg vendor

Now, the Malioboro Street started to wake and so did our stomach. From the sidewalk food vendors we bought fresh snacks and gudeg, a traditional food of Yogyakarta. When we sat in the pavement enjoying our breakfast with other visitors, I think of my childhood times with my sister in this city. Of course we had short trips to the market almost every morning, but we never walked just to enjoy the ambiance of the city like this, and I never knew that this simple activity could be this magical. I never tried to understand the story of this historical piece of land. I also never appreciated its legacy. But one thing for sure, I will return to this city and walk along this street in such early morning like this again and again.