Jakarta, IO – The name “Cina Benteng” or “Fort Chinese” applied to the people of Chinese descent living in Tangerang, Banten, has a long history. According to Kompas, Thursday (28/06/2023), the name originated with the arrival of Chinese great explorer, Admiral Cheng Ho. In the 1400’s, he passed through the seas of what will become Indonesia when he was chasing a rebel from Semarang in Java to Palembang, South Sumatera.
As he passed Banten Sea en route to Palembang, he decided to make a stop at the Teluk Naga or “Dragon Bay” area, which is a site of water disposal in the Tangerang region. The spot was so strategic that Admiral Cheng Ho told his men to build a base there. The men ended up staying far longer than expected – they even farmed the banks of the Cisadane River and married local girls.
“The children from these mixed marriages are called the ‘Peranakan’, which is Malay for ‘Mixed Blood Child’,” reported Martin, a guide affiliated with the Benteng Heritage Museum in Tangerang. “The Peranakan Chinese kept on growing until the time the Dutch trade organization, the VOC, appeared in 1739. At the time, Tangerang was calld “Kota Benteng” or “Port City” because the Dutch built a ford on the banks of the Cisadane River to defend themselves from the attacks of the Banten Kingdom.”
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Martin went on to say that the descendants of the Chinese living in the area were called “Cina Benteng” starting those days. The moniker remains even today, decades after the Fort in question has been demolished due to repeated expansion of the Cisadane riverbank expansion. (un)