Jakarta, IO – The Kemayoran Complex Management Center (Pusat Pengelolaan Komplek Kemayoran – “PPK Kemayoran”) held a “Historical Traces of Kemayoran: Transformations Across Eras” historical and cultural workshop on 27 September 2023. The participants were the students of several Middle Schools and High Schools in the Kemayoran area, as well as a number of history lover communities from across the city.
Speakers in the workshop and discussion event were Trisakti University lecturer of Planology Engineering Yayat Supriyatna, historian and author J.J. Rizal, and architect and Pancasila University lecturer of architectural history Yuke Ardhiati. They discussed different aspects of Kemayoran’s historical and cultural significance, including the role it plays in Betawi history and culture, over the ages. They also pointed to remaining historic icons in the area, including Kemayoran Airport, Indonesia’s first international airport and the relief carvings on the airport’s terminals.
“We deliberately organized this workshop on culture and history as an extension of our own interest and research on Kemayoran’s historical heritage. We hope that the younger generation will also become aware of the history and culture that grew and developed in the area,” declared PPK Kemayoran President Director Medi Kristianto. “…as the management of the area provides the opportunity for as many and varied institutions, agencies, and organizations as possible to explore Kemayoran’s heritage and progress.”
Speaker and historian J.J. Rizal explained that Kemayoran became developed as a new urban region in the early 19th century. It was inhabited by middle to lower class citizens, and they were strongly heterogenous. “Many of the now-traditional arts were developed in Kemayoran, including keroncong music,” he said.
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On the other hand, Yayat Supriyatna discussed the significant roles Kemayoran played in the past, of which the construction of the Airport as the first international air gate into Jakarta was only one milestone. He went on to express his hope that the area can regain its glory as a safe and comfortable economic and business center: “The fact that Kemayoran Airport was the first international airport in our Homeland means that Kemayoran used to be a major hub in the past. I hope that even though the Airport is now gone, the region will still grow into a modern smart city,” he said. (des/ast)