Palembang - Kampung Kapitan, a historic area in South Sumatra‘s capital city Palembang, boasts a cluster of 15 stilt houses built by the Chinese community with thousands of tales to tell.
One such tale describes how a military officer of Chinese descent with the rank of kapitan (captain) used to live there. Working for the Dutch colonial government, his duties were to collect taxes, maintain security and manage the opium trade.
A cultural observer from Palembang, Djohan Hanafiah, said Kampung Kapitan‘s distinctive history had much to do with the downfall of the Sriwijaya Kingdom in Palembang in the 11th century and the emergence of the Ming Dynasty in China in the 14th.
The Ming Dynasty expanded imperial control over the Chinese traders operating in the south seas, this archipelago, by forming a trade association.
"This institution later made Palembang into one of its major trading bases. As a trade city, many Chinese came through and then settled in Palembang. Some of them married local Muslim women," Djohan said.
He said one famous chief of the Chinese trade office was Liang Taow Ming, who united the Chinese communities and exacted recognition for them from the Dutch colonial government.
When the Dutch authority grew more powerful than the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, they assigned a Chinese officer to manage the 7 Ulu area and its surroundings.
At first the officer only dealt with the Chinese community. Later on, as the Dutch gained more power, he was also assigned to take care of the other local residents.
"Carrying out his duty, the captain worked together with the demang (subdistrict chiefs) and the locals. The majority of his employees were locals who built their houses next to the main houses," Djohan said.
In the main part of Kampung Kapitan, located in 7 Ulu subdistrict of Seberang Ulu district, three of these houses still stand.
The captain and his large family used to live in the first house the biggest one facing the Musi river and the third house.
The second house in the middle was where parties and meetings with many guests were usually held.
Smaller houses were built nearby for the captain‘s employees and their families. They formed a complex measuring 30 meters by 50 meters.
One of these three main houses, however, no longer belongs to the captain‘s family as it was long ago sold to an outsider.
The second house, with has four main rooms and two small ones, now serves as a place where family ashes are kept for people who share the captain‘s family name, Tjoa.
The ash house is furnished with an ash table and a family altar adorned with statues of deities. There are also dozens of old pictures on the wall, including photos of captain Tjoa Ham Hin‘s wedding and a funeral processing alongside the Musi.
The other house, which has eight main rooms and four small ones, is the home of 75-year-old Tjoa Kok Lim, popularly known as Kohar, the 11th captain in the dynasty.
Kohar‘s father, Tjoa Hendrik, gave specific instructions as to the fate of the two residences.
"The two remaining houses won‘t be put up for sale no matter what their condition because this was my father‘s wish," he said.
Kohar is the grandson of the last captain, Tjoa Ham Hin, who later served as mayor.
"They passed on their authority to their heirs, so each generation got the rank of kapitan. They inherited the main houses and the settlement area generation after generation, which is how the kampung got its name," Kohar said.
Finding the place is not hard. Kampung Kapitan sprawls across four hectares.
Unfortunately, these historical buildings are somewhat the worse for wear. They are dilapidated and their wooden structure is showing signs of decay.
As part of the Visit Musi 2008 program, the city administration recently built a garden and decorated the front yard of the Kapitan‘s houses with lighting. A concrete road was also constructed alongside the Musi leading to the location.
Kohar, who has 11 children and 32 grandchildren, said the Chinese descendants get along well with other kampung residents, and there have been many intermarriages.
Kohar‘s first son, 51-year-old Feriadi, recalled Captain Tjoa Ham Hin was close to his employees. They helped each other prepare and celebrate religious holidays and ceremonies such as the major Muslim holiday of Idul Fitri and Cap Go Meh, a rite held 15 days after the Chinese New Year.
"During the Cap Go Meh parties, the Chinese and Muslim guests used different cutlery and cookery since many Chinese foods rely on pork and alcohol, forbidden for Muslims," Feriadi said.
The kampung is also home to people from other ethnicities, including Arabs and Indians, who all live in harmony. Some Indian descendants who are also members of the captain‘s expansive family live in the house called Rumah Nyonya, or Lady‘s House.
"People of various ethnicities and religions have been living side by side until today, even though many newcomers have joined the community," Kohar said. Khairul Saleh
Source: http://old.thejakartapost.com (October 30, 2008)
