Chinatown Ignites Makassar’s Economic Life

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Traffic density on Sulawesi Road, Makassar City, South Sulawesi, Monday (18/5/2020). This road section is part of the Chinatown area as well as one of the commercial centers in Makassar.

Chinatown in Makassar is a historic commercial center that continues to hum, even in the middle of the pandemic, creating an economic spillover to surrounding areas and boosting local signature products.

It was still early in the morning on Thursday (15/7/2021) when a number of visitors came into Karya Harapan Shop, one after the other. Founded 60 years ago with the name Keng Hoat, the shop was renamed in keeping with the rule on the “Indonesianization” of Chinese names under the New Order era.

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The shop occupies a unit in one of the shophouses on Jl. Lembeh, and sells fresh homemade noodles. Right behind the sales area is the room where the noodles are made. The shop is currently managed by a third-generation descendant of the founder.

“When I was born, this business already existed. Starting from grandfather, I took up the business and am now starting to involve my children. We are grateful that the business has survived, even though we moved from its former location on Jalan Timor,” said Welly Wijaya (50), who now runs the family-owned business.

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The atmosphere of the Makassar Mall area or formerly known as the Central Market, on Friday (7/7/2021). This area used to be the location of a Chinese cemetery that turned into a trading center.

Now going into the family’s fourth generation, the shop has never formally marketed its products. Fresh noodles are sold by the kilo with a daily production output reaching 500-1,000 kilograms. Many similar ventures were born later, but Karya Harapan has retained its competitiveness.

“From generation to generation, we maintain the quality of our recipe. Promotion is mostly by mouth. Many of the customers are also generational, for example, members of a clan have become loyal customers from the grandparents to the grandchildren. Buyers come not only from Makassar, but also from outside the city," Welly said.

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Besides Karya Harapan, Makassar\'s Chinatown is home to many other spawning businesses that have grown and still thrive today. All kinds of products from head to toe are available.

One that is well known throughout the archipelago is the Cap Tawon brand of rubbing oil, called minyak tawon [bee oil]. The therapeutic rubbing oil is made from a mixture of various herbs and was first produced in 1912. It has long been a signature souvenir of Makassar.

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An employee serves buyers, Thursday (15/7/2021) at Keng Hoat Shop. This 60-year-old wet noodle factory in the Chinatown area of Makassar continues to survive in the midst of similar businesses that have recently emerged.

There is also DHT syrup, which has been around for more than 50 years. Shoppers find that the syrup is suitable for making a variety of culinary delights, such as green bananas, a banana dessert called pallubutung and fresh juices.

More than half a century old, these products are easy to find, from traditional markets to supermarkets, from meatball street vendors and to restaurants.

The syrup has proven its competitiveness on the market against syrups produced by national food giants. There are other popular products, such as bottled soy sauce and chili sauce produced by PT Adinata. More than half a century old, these products are easy to find, from traditional markets to supermarkets, from meatball street vendors and to restaurants.

Some people closely associate those products with personal memories and take them to heal their homesickness, as in the case of Anny Rahimah (47). Originally from Makassar, she has been living in France for almost 10 years.

She said she never missed a chance to buy products from Chinatown every time she came home, to take back to France as souvenirs.

“When I miss fried rice with Adinata chili sauce and soy sauce, I can make it anytime. Or when I want to savor DHT, I just mix it in a pudding or with cold water. Not only am I fond of it, but the product is a throwback," she said.

Historical ties

As a center of trade and production, Makassar’s Chinatown has a long history. Located in the same area as Makassar Port, its economic pulse has been beating since before the arrival of Dutch colonialists, who established trading partners in the city for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century.

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Butung Market area which is still crowded in the middle of the pandemic. Located near this Chinatown area, this market that is more than a century old still survives and becomes the largest wholesale center in Eastern Indonesia.

Yerry Wiryawan, a historian from Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, said that apart from engaging in trading activities, Chinese-Indonesians in Makassar would often hold important positions, including as port customs officials. "In the past, the position of harbormaster was usually auctioned off and would generally go to a Chinese-Indonesian or a Malay," he said.

When the VOC arrived, Chinese-Indonesian traders still held strategic positions. The VOC opened its arms to anyone competent in making business deals.

Chinatown has been a commercial bastion since the olden days, not only for Chinese people but also people of other ethnic origins, such as Malays and people from Buton, Flores, Maluku, Bugis, Makassar and other groups from across the archipelago. They generally become traders.

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One of the buildings in the Chinatown area of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Thursday (15/7/2021). This building was once the location of the Cap Tawon rubbing oil factory. This business still survives until now at the age of more than 100 years. The factory is now relocated to Gowa.

“In the past, there were many ethnic groups that traded here. I remember as a child, when the boat came, we could see it from home. Usually when the ship docked, people pushed their carts back and forth carrying goods to shops or factories in Chinatown,” said David Aritanto (60), who grew up on Jl. Timor.

Growing and thriving as a trading center, Chinatown is like an octopus that has extended its tentacles to the surrounding areas, which have developed in tandem. The areas around Makassar Mall, formerly called Pasar Sentral (Central Market) and Butung Market have developed into wholesale centers. Not far from those premises is Jl. Somba Opu, which has become the center of the city’s gold trade. From there, the economic wheels keep rolling.

(This article was translated by Musthofid).