One of the many perks of working for Female Daily that I truly enjoy is the chance to travel around Indonesia. After being invited by Warna Impian to attend Jotun Fun Carnival Day in Paragon Mall last June, I recently visited Semarang for another business trip. Together with some fellow journalists from Jakarta, we were invited to the exotic Martha Tilaar Enchanting IndOriental Beauty Journey.
Along with other cities in northern coast of Java, Semarang is widely known as a melting pot of East Asian, European, and Indonesian cultures. It is home to many historical and cultural sites, where ancient and colonial monuments are preserved. In this 3-day historical trip, Martha Tilaar Group didn’t only invite us for sightseeing, but also to taste the mouthwatering culinary and shop the finest Batik in town.
Right after we arrived at the Ahmad Yani Airport, we were welcomed by the “Gebyar Semarangan” dancers.
Our first destination was Sam Poo Kong Temple located in Simongan, southwest area of Semarang. Historically, there was a Chinese Moslem fleet commander, named Admiral Cheng Ho, who arrived in the western part of Semarang and disembarked from his ship in this area. The admiral found a stone cave in a hillside and used it for prayer, therefore this temple also popular as Gedung Batu Temple. Although the commander was a Moslem, many Chinese Indonesians believe that it is a temple rather than a masjid due to its Chinese architecture. This historical site is widely used as a memorial, place of worship for Chinese people, and a place of pilgrimage for many Moslems.
