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Central Java – Part 1
Indonesia Media
 Flanked by West and East Java, this province is centrally located on Java island with Semarang as its provincial capital situated on the northern coast. A network of good roads and highways in addition to solid railways linking its major cities and villages plus the accessibility to reach it by air through three main airports, all assure the visitor that he finds himself in a region with more than adequate communications.
The land can be flat, hilly as well as mountainous, and is generally fertile and perhaps therefore, is also heavily populated by a people with age-old traditions as well as a rich culture. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity have all taken part in the evolution of what Central Java is today. Two major seaports are to be noted: one on its northern coast called Tanjung Emas on the Java Sea, and the other one called Cilacap, a natural oceanport in the Indian Ocean, in the southern part of the province. Both these ports function perfectly as outlets for the transport of the province's agricultural and industrial products to the rest of Indonesia and to the world at large for its exports.
To most Indonesian visitors Central Java's history and its social influence over the whole nation are relatively known. The very first Moslem kingdom on the island was founded in 1511 at Demak, about 40 km from Semarang, which became the beachhead from which Islam spread out throughout the island. Today Demak is a sleepy little town, however, its glory of the past is still visible from one of the major relics now still well preserved, the Grand Mosque, a quaint blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture, still honored and worshipped by Javanese pilgrims.
 Then there is Surakarta, better known as Solo, which is the cradle of Javanese culture, with two royal houses in one single city: the Kraton of Solo and the Mangkunegaran, a principality. Descendants of these two royal houses are still considered leaders of Javanese culture and traditions which are today still patterned after for their sophistication and bearing. Pre-Independence Heads of Regencies, functioning like small kingdoms throughout Java during the Dutch colonial era, were mostly descendants or relatives of the Solo royal houses which were at the time sufficiently cooperative with the colonial administration. Thus, during centuries of living feudalism it can still be felt and observed by watchful eyes in spite of almost half a century of the republican administration since Indonesia's independence from the Dutch.
Towering over Central Java is the smoking volcano of Mount Merapi along with a dozen other smaller mountains, making this province one the prettiest and greener provinces of all.
Places of Interest:
Semarang
In size and inhabitants, Semarang falls under the five major cities in the nation. It is situated on Java's normally flat northern coast and appropriately called the capital of Central Java as it lies just about halfway between the two extreme east and west coasts of the island. Indeed, few cities in the country have got hills and mountains so clearly visible from their seaports. In fact, mostly residential, Candi is a hill within Semarang's perimeter from where breathtaking panoramas on all directions can be witnessed: the port, the lowlands and green paddy fields, the city itself and the numerous mountains. The proximity of all this beauty promises adventurous car trips out of Semarang offering you memorable experiences and to be back in the city before dark.
 There is an older part of the city, close to its ocean harbor, where you can still find an interesting collection of odd-looking buildings dating back to the Dutch colonial era and further back still, to the time of the Dutch East Indies Company. And finally the city's zoo, may also be worth while visiting.
More up to date, the city offers evening performances of Wayang drama played by live actors, actresses and dancers at Ngesti Pandowo Theater. For sport fans there are tennis courts in all major hotels and 2 golf courses located in the town's suburbs. For short trips out of Semarang within a radius of about 60 km, the following places are recommended :
Jepara , northeast of Semarang, is a town with white sandy beaches around it, and is also famous for its wood carving industry. Most artists of this sophisticated art come from around this area. It is also the birthplace of Indonesia's heroine of the national women's liberation movement.
Kudus , about halfway between Jepara and Semarang, could be taken in on the same trip, as well as Demak. So, Kudus and Demak are two towns having the same directions as to Jepara, and both have historical significance. Kudus has the Minaret Mosque which was built in the 15th century, whereas Demak has the oldest mosque in Central Java, both of them very interesting structures from the architectural point of view.
Other places of interest are either south, southwest or west of Semarang which are usually not visited on one round-trip out of Semarang. It is recommended that you leave the capital on a tour to another city, say, Solo, and see the beautiful things along the way. But even then, you may not be able to see them all in one single day.
(to be continued in next issue)
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