Custom House
The vast province of West-Kalimantan is mainly shaped by the catchment area of the Kapuas, the longest river of Indonesia. Kalimantan Barat - KalBar - has a surface of 146.807 sq.km and counts only a few milion inhabitants.
Travelling in this area is demanding, and elemental knowledge of the Indonesian language and adaption to local problems and delays. Tourism in this province, almost unknown to the main public, is not encouraged as well.
This was different in the 19th century. Back then the western part of former Dutch Borneo was even more visited than the most popular East-Kalimantan nowadays. The English James Brooke, which was given the current Sarawak by the sultan of Brunei, was seen as a threat of their sovereignty by the Dutch. They reinforced their presence around Pontianak to keep the White Raja at a safe distance.
Diamonds and Gold
Shortly after their arrival in the archipelago the Dutch focussed on the diamond fields in Western Borneo. They created warehouses ('factorijen') in Sambas and Sukadana, but they were soon abandoned when the stream of diamonds decreased and the Dutch refocussed on Jawa and the Moluccan spice islands.
In 1698, the Dutch forces the Malay ruler of Borneo to recognise the rule of the sultan of Batam on Jawa, which was under Dutch control. To settle their position even better, they supported the Arab explorer Abdul Rahman, which founded a trade post in Pontianak and killed the local rulers.
However trade with the regio (and the demand of taxes) went through Pontianak, but profits were not high enough for the Dutch to support troops and offices. In 1917, they retreated, but economical and political developments would return them very soon.
At the end of the 18th century, a true gold rush emerged along Borneo's western coast. Thousands of poor Hakka-farmers from China were attracted by the rich alluvial gold deposits, which eventually produced upto one seventh of the yearly yield in gold, The Dutch, always looking for more opportunities for trade, returned right away.
But against the time that they beat the Chinese - which ruled over the gold - the fields were almost depleted.
Next the Dutch settled in Sintang, far upstream along the Kapuas, which shortly became one of the two most important governmental locations of Dutch Borneo. The governmental jump in the inlands, covered by the army, offered the opportunity for exploration of the vast, still unknown inlands.
Chinese in West-Kalimantan
The province of West Kalimantan has one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in Indonesia. The estimated half a milion Chinese-Indonesians form more than 10 per cent of the population, descendants from marriages between Chinese and Dayak counted in.
From 1720 the Chinese came to the archipelago in big numbers to work in the tin mines on the island of Bangka. Inspired by this, the Malay ruler of Sambas asked Chinese people to take a job in the goldmines.
Migration started on a small scale in 1750, but got larger around 1790. The envitation was everything accept a deed of humanity. Chinese were prohibited from trading and doing agriculture, so they were forced to buy everything against high prices from the sultan. As soon as they were strong enough, the Chinese got rid of all demands, and they formed unities (kongsi), based on the clans they had in China. Betwen 1790 and 1820, in the good times of gold mining, the kongsi flourished. In 1810 the Chinese community already counted 40,000 people.
Most Chinese settled around the neighboring goldfields of Mandor and Montrado, between Pontianak and Sambas. The kongsi formed two federations; the one controlled the fields of Mandor, the other the fields of Montrado.
Both had a specific task-devision: farmers grew rice and other food for the miners, while other groups took care of the construction of canals. These were used for bringing water to the sluices in which the clay was washed. The fields in Western Kalimantan were rich and the gold was very pure (18 to 21 carat), but the success of the gold mining was mainly due to hard labour and a good usefull exploitation of water.
When the revenues dropped, violence and arguments broke out in the Chinese community. Big fights between the federations separated and devided the Chinese, and faced with a strong Dutch army, Mandor soon capitulated. The Montrado-Chinese were able to defend themselves because of their unity. They kept on trading through Singkawang. The big revolt in Jawa (1825-1830), forced the Dutch to retreat from Borneo. Borneo and the Chinese were left alone until the empire of raja Brooke in Sarawak drew attention.
Renewed Dutch force lead to a governmental reorganisation of Western Borneo and a big military expedition, which broke Chinese stronghold in Montrado. The arguing kongsi were dissolved, but by that time the big gold mining activities were already finished. Most Chinese could not afford a return to China, so they settled in Western Borneo.
West Kalimantan Quickly
Attractions in the provincial capital Pontianak are the provincial museum, the Mesjid Jami or Great Mosque, the old palace of the sultan and the crowded seaport with Buginese schooners. North of the city are several nice beaches.
In the neighborhood of Singkawang are pottery-factories, in which copies of the old Chinese porcelain are produced. In Sambas, weavers produce nice fabrics. Here is also the mosque of the sultan. Between Sambas and Pontianak are several Chinese temples.
The landscape of West-Kalimantan is scattered with high, steep rock formations, which form a true challenge for the mountaineer. They offer a very nice view over the jungle. The most impressive mountain, Gunung Kelam, is located in the forests near Sintang.
The Kapuas River
The Kapuas forms the most important connection with the inlands of KalBar. From four locations along the river, you can visit more remote areas. Sintang, 450 km from Pontianak, is the starting point of journeys by boat on the Kapuas and next the Kayan or Pinoh. Semitau and Selimbau, more upstream along the Kapuas, serve as starting point for a journey to the vast lake district in the north, which is connected to the Kapuas through a sider-river. This unusual ecological zone is the living area of the Iban and other scattered living Dayak-populations.
Putussibau, the last important city along the Kapuas, is located just a little short of 900 km from Pontianak. Here live the Kayan, Maloh and Taman Dayak in traditional longhouses. From Putussibau, you can cross Borneo to the east by following the Kapuas as far as you can and crossing mountainous areas through the Mahakam River.
The Dayak of KalBar
In the 19th century, the name of 'Land-Dayak' was introduced from Sarawak, to distinguish the Dayak living in the inlands from the Dayak which are called 'Sea-Dayak', or Iban, which mainly live in Sarawak.
Populations which are counted in as 'Land-Dayak' are those which live along the middle-stream Kapuas: the Selako, Singgi, Jagoi, Sadung and populations which live along the upperstream Sanggau and Sekayan. Just like th Iban, of which 7,000 of them live in KalBar, these populations speak languages which are related with Malay.
With it's several hundred-thousand inhabitants, governmental buildings and Chinese shops, Sintang dominates most of the Kapuas. The city used to be, and still is the entrance to the inlands of Western Kalimantan, in special the rivers of Melawi, Kayan and Pinoh, which can be reached by longbot from the city.
The Pinoh springs in the Schwaner Range, the natural border between the provinces KalBar and KalTeng. Near Nanga, the Poinoh merges with the Melawi. A little north, the Kayan does the same. Seventy km northwest the Malawi merges with the Sintang, which eventually merges with the biggest river in KalBar, the Kapuas.
Sintang stretches over both banks of the Kapuas river, on the location where the Melawi merges with the river. It's location on the merge of both rivers made the city into a center of the Chinese trade with the hinterland. At the end of the 19th century, Sintang consisted of three separate, but dependant parts.
The Malay kampung was located on the left short, along both sides of the small palace of the sultan. On the other shore was a big Chinese compound. Upstream, just past the Melawai river was a small, Dutch fortress, surrounded by a heavy wooden passilade. The Europeans lived behind the fortress, where nowadays are still the offices and houses of the civil servants.
The main center of the city is the former Chinese quarter; the most important piers, bus stations, cinermas, stoers and trade are managed by Chinese Indonesians. The Dara Juanti Museum, built in 1937 on the location of the former palace, contains heirlooms, state objects and things from the hinduist period. Sintang also has a military museul, the Alambhana.
The Dayak of Sintang
In the district Sintang live some of West-Kalimantans most traditional Dayak-populations. Along the upper stream of the Melawai, Kayan and Pinoh still live animist Dayak. Longhouses are still in use and sometimes a big burial ceremony is held, in which the bones of the deceased are placed in a decorated grave. Several populations know seeding- and planting festivals or gawai (around July), in which many participants wear traditional dressing.
American protestant missionaries have entered as far as several of the most isolated areas. These fundamentalist preachers almost demand abolishment of all traditional habits. The catholics, which have been here longer in the more accessible areas, were more open against their original culture. In the most remote areas many Dayak still practive kaharingan religion, which sometimes frustrates the protestant missionaries.
Traditional
Tatoo
Custom Clothing
Travelling in this area is demanding, and elemental knowledge of the Indonesian language and adaption to local problems and delays. Tourism in this province, almost unknown to the main public, is not encouraged as well.
This was different in the 19th century. Back then the western part of former Dutch Borneo was even more visited than the most popular East-Kalimantan nowadays. The English James Brooke, which was given the current Sarawak by the sultan of Brunei, was seen as a threat of their sovereignty by the Dutch. They reinforced their presence around Pontianak to keep the White Raja at a safe distance.
Diamonds and Gold
Shortly after their arrival in the archipelago the Dutch focussed on the diamond fields in Western Borneo. They created warehouses ('factorijen') in Sambas and Sukadana, but they were soon abandoned when the stream of diamonds decreased and the Dutch refocussed on Jawa and the Moluccan spice islands.
In 1698, the Dutch forces the Malay ruler of Borneo to recognise the rule of the sultan of Batam on Jawa, which was under Dutch control. To settle their position even better, they supported the Arab explorer Abdul Rahman, which founded a trade post in Pontianak and killed the local rulers.
However trade with the regio (and the demand of taxes) went through Pontianak, but profits were not high enough for the Dutch to support troops and offices. In 1917, they retreated, but economical and political developments would return them very soon.
At the end of the 18th century, a true gold rush emerged along Borneo's western coast. Thousands of poor Hakka-farmers from China were attracted by the rich alluvial gold deposits, which eventually produced upto one seventh of the yearly yield in gold, The Dutch, always looking for more opportunities for trade, returned right away.
But against the time that they beat the Chinese - which ruled over the gold - the fields were almost depleted.
Next the Dutch settled in Sintang, far upstream along the Kapuas, which shortly became one of the two most important governmental locations of Dutch Borneo. The governmental jump in the inlands, covered by the army, offered the opportunity for exploration of the vast, still unknown inlands.
Chinese in West-Kalimantan
The province of West Kalimantan has one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in Indonesia. The estimated half a milion Chinese-Indonesians form more than 10 per cent of the population, descendants from marriages between Chinese and Dayak counted in.
From 1720 the Chinese came to the archipelago in big numbers to work in the tin mines on the island of Bangka. Inspired by this, the Malay ruler of Sambas asked Chinese people to take a job in the goldmines.
Migration started on a small scale in 1750, but got larger around 1790. The envitation was everything accept a deed of humanity. Chinese were prohibited from trading and doing agriculture, so they were forced to buy everything against high prices from the sultan. As soon as they were strong enough, the Chinese got rid of all demands, and they formed unities (kongsi), based on the clans they had in China. Betwen 1790 and 1820, in the good times of gold mining, the kongsi flourished. In 1810 the Chinese community already counted 40,000 people.
Most Chinese settled around the neighboring goldfields of Mandor and Montrado, between Pontianak and Sambas. The kongsi formed two federations; the one controlled the fields of Mandor, the other the fields of Montrado.
Both had a specific task-devision: farmers grew rice and other food for the miners, while other groups took care of the construction of canals. These were used for bringing water to the sluices in which the clay was washed. The fields in Western Kalimantan were rich and the gold was very pure (18 to 21 carat), but the success of the gold mining was mainly due to hard labour and a good usefull exploitation of water.
When the revenues dropped, violence and arguments broke out in the Chinese community. Big fights between the federations separated and devided the Chinese, and faced with a strong Dutch army, Mandor soon capitulated. The Montrado-Chinese were able to defend themselves because of their unity. They kept on trading through Singkawang. The big revolt in Jawa (1825-1830), forced the Dutch to retreat from Borneo. Borneo and the Chinese were left alone until the empire of raja Brooke in Sarawak drew attention.
Renewed Dutch force lead to a governmental reorganisation of Western Borneo and a big military expedition, which broke Chinese stronghold in Montrado. The arguing kongsi were dissolved, but by that time the big gold mining activities were already finished. Most Chinese could not afford a return to China, so they settled in Western Borneo.
West Kalimantan Quickly
Attractions in the provincial capital Pontianak are the provincial museum, the Mesjid Jami or Great Mosque, the old palace of the sultan and the crowded seaport with Buginese schooners. North of the city are several nice beaches.
In the neighborhood of Singkawang are pottery-factories, in which copies of the old Chinese porcelain are produced. In Sambas, weavers produce nice fabrics. Here is also the mosque of the sultan. Between Sambas and Pontianak are several Chinese temples.
The landscape of West-Kalimantan is scattered with high, steep rock formations, which form a true challenge for the mountaineer. They offer a very nice view over the jungle. The most impressive mountain, Gunung Kelam, is located in the forests near Sintang.
The Kapuas River
The Kapuas forms the most important connection with the inlands of KalBar. From four locations along the river, you can visit more remote areas. Sintang, 450 km from Pontianak, is the starting point of journeys by boat on the Kapuas and next the Kayan or Pinoh. Semitau and Selimbau, more upstream along the Kapuas, serve as starting point for a journey to the vast lake district in the north, which is connected to the Kapuas through a sider-river. This unusual ecological zone is the living area of the Iban and other scattered living Dayak-populations.
Putussibau, the last important city along the Kapuas, is located just a little short of 900 km from Pontianak. Here live the Kayan, Maloh and Taman Dayak in traditional longhouses. From Putussibau, you can cross Borneo to the east by following the Kapuas as far as you can and crossing mountainous areas through the Mahakam River.
The Dayak of KalBar
In the 19th century, the name of 'Land-Dayak' was introduced from Sarawak, to distinguish the Dayak living in the inlands from the Dayak which are called 'Sea-Dayak', or Iban, which mainly live in Sarawak.
Populations which are counted in as 'Land-Dayak' are those which live along the middle-stream Kapuas: the Selako, Singgi, Jagoi, Sadung and populations which live along the upperstream Sanggau and Sekayan. Just like th Iban, of which 7,000 of them live in KalBar, these populations speak languages which are related with Malay.
With it's several hundred-thousand inhabitants, governmental buildings and Chinese shops, Sintang dominates most of the Kapuas. The city used to be, and still is the entrance to the inlands of Western Kalimantan, in special the rivers of Melawi, Kayan and Pinoh, which can be reached by longbot from the city.
The Pinoh springs in the Schwaner Range, the natural border between the provinces KalBar and KalTeng. Near Nanga, the Poinoh merges with the Melawi. A little north, the Kayan does the same. Seventy km northwest the Malawi merges with the Sintang, which eventually merges with the biggest river in KalBar, the Kapuas.
Sintang stretches over both banks of the Kapuas river, on the location where the Melawi merges with the river. It's location on the merge of both rivers made the city into a center of the Chinese trade with the hinterland. At the end of the 19th century, Sintang consisted of three separate, but dependant parts.
The Malay kampung was located on the left short, along both sides of the small palace of the sultan. On the other shore was a big Chinese compound. Upstream, just past the Melawai river was a small, Dutch fortress, surrounded by a heavy wooden passilade. The Europeans lived behind the fortress, where nowadays are still the offices and houses of the civil servants.
The main center of the city is the former Chinese quarter; the most important piers, bus stations, cinermas, stoers and trade are managed by Chinese Indonesians. The Dara Juanti Museum, built in 1937 on the location of the former palace, contains heirlooms, state objects and things from the hinduist period. Sintang also has a military museul, the Alambhana.
The Dayak of Sintang
In the district Sintang live some of West-Kalimantans most traditional Dayak-populations. Along the upper stream of the Melawai, Kayan and Pinoh still live animist Dayak. Longhouses are still in use and sometimes a big burial ceremony is held, in which the bones of the deceased are placed in a decorated grave. Several populations know seeding- and planting festivals or gawai (around July), in which many participants wear traditional dressing.
American protestant missionaries have entered as far as several of the most isolated areas. These fundamentalist preachers almost demand abolishment of all traditional habits. The catholics, which have been here longer in the more accessible areas, were more open against their original culture. In the most remote areas many Dayak still practive kaharingan religion, which sometimes frustrates the protestant missionaries.
Traditional
Tatoo
Custom Clothing
