Kadariah Palace

Kadariah Palace is Pontianak Palace where long ago became a Government Center of Pontianak Kingdom. This palace was built by Sultan Syarief Abdurrachman Alqadri in 1771. Its size is 30 x 50 meters. This is the biggest palace in West Kalimantan. This glorious old building is painted in yellow that symbolizes the greatness of Malay kingdom. In front of the palace building there is Jami Mosque that was built in the same time.

Kadariah Palace gives the special charm for the visitors with there are many artifacts or historical things such as various jewelry that is used hereditarily since long ago. There are also the collection of throne, cannon, ancient things and family’s picture that has been faded symbolizes past life. There is a podium made of wood and in the main hall there is also an antique mirror from France that is called “thousand mirror” by the people.

Sultan also left inheritance wealth and other legacy for his family who is still alive to be kept and cared. Kadariah Palace that is in Kampung Dalam Bugis, East Pontianak Sub-district, can be reached in less than 15 minutes from the center of Pontianak City.

Posted by: Sari Cahyani

Supadio Airport

Supadio airport is an airport that is located in Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Supadio international Airport is about 20 minutes from  the Pontianak center. Angkasa Pura Company II operates the airport that can contain 1,5 million passengers. The facilities that there are in the Supadio Airport are:

·         Mini market

·         Restoran dan Cafe

·         Bank

·         Shopping Arcade

·         Lounge

 Posted by: Lira Risfayanti

Tanjungpura University

Tanjungpura University or UNTAN is the government university in Pontianak city, Indonesia. The campus of UNTAN is in Pontianak and can be known easily with the Digulis Monument that is in front of the campus. This Digulis monument is also known as “Bundaran UNTAN”.

Tanjungpura University was built on May 20 1959 and the name was Daya Nasional University under the shelter of Daya Nasional College Institute as a private university. The originators of the institution are the politicians and the leader of West Kalimantan citizens. At first time, this university had two faculties, they are Law Faculty and Business Administration Faculty. The teachers were the scholars and young scholars in West Borneo.

In line with Indonesia’s political situation in 1965, the name of the university was changed into Dwikora University (based on Republican Presidential Decree Indonesia Number 278, September 14 1965), also indicated the opening of Social and Political Faculty.

Finally, the name of Dwikora University was changed  again intoTanjungpura University (UNTAN), based on Republican Presidential Decree Indonesia Number 171 in 1967. The name of Tanjungpura University came from Tanjungpura Kingdom. Until at this time, UNTAN has eight faculties with the education’s level until  Two Strata (S2).

There are eight faculties in Tanjungpura University, they are Law, Economy, Agriculture, Engineering, Social and Political, Teacher Training and Education, Forestry, and Math and Science.

Posted by: Indah Purnama Sari

Kapuas Town Square Park

        To discharge the exhaustion after having activities long days or may be after six days, of course become something that is really wanted by every people. There is not many places to discharge the exhaustion in Pontianak. Beside visiting department store that has many game facilities for children, the cheap resort is also visited by the people. The tourism resort that has been visited since long ago until now is Kapuas Town Square Park. This park that is located in the edge of Kapuas River is a resort that is still visited by many domestic tourists.

Beside cheap and joyous (you just pay for parking your vehicles), Kapuas Town Square Park also offers very exciting night touring. The scenery of Kapuas water in the night, the scenery of the opposite land (Siantan) that is embellished by the lamps from the houses that reflect on the water make scenery more glorious. It is not surprising, there are many young couple, small family and groups of young man who spend their night in Kapuas Town Square Park. Moreover, Pontianak government has improved this park and added water fountain. Whatever can be found in Kapuas Town Square Park. If you want to shopping the cheap one, there are sellers who sell accessories, bags, watches, clothes, toys and everything. If you are hungry, don’t worry. Now, there have been many sellers who sell roasted corn with various tastes, various fried food, meatball and drinks. Even there is also ‘forbidden game” there. It is complete!

Posted by: Sari Cahyani

Kapuas River

The Kapuas River is a river in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, at the geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia. At 1,143 kilometers (710 miles) in length, it is the longest river of Indonesia and one of the world's longest island rivers. It originates in the Müller mountain range at the center of the island and flows west into the South China Sea creating an extended marshy delta. The delta is located west-southwest of Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province. This Kapuas River should be distinguished from another Kapuas River, which starts on the other side of the same mountain range in central Borneo, but flows to the south, merging with the Barito River and discharging in to the Java Sea.

The river discharges into the South China Sea creating a marshy delta, which spreads both inland and into the sea, with the silt deposits extending up to 50–60 km from the island. The delta is located west-southwest of Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province which lies at the equator. The delta has five arms, of which the northernmost one is the widest, and is therefore called the Big Kapuas (Indonesian: Kapuas Besar). The largest tributary is the Melawi River, which occurs to the left near the city of Sintang, about 465 km from the mouth. Other major tributaries are the Landak, Kubu, Punggur and Sekayam rivers.

The Kapuas River is the major waterway connecting the central of the island with its western coast. The large river width and depth (up to 27 meters) support intensive cargo and passenger shipping over most of the river length. Ships with a draft of up to 3 meters can navigate up to Sintang, 465 km from the mouth, and those with a draft up to 2 meters can reach the city of Putussibau (902 km from the mouth). Logging and rafting of timber occur all along the river. Fishing is also common, especially at the Kapuas Lakes and near the river delta.

Posted by: Lira Risfayanti

Museum in Pontianak

Beside equator line, Pontianak is passed by Kapuas river, the longest river in Indonesia. Because of the unique position, it is not surprising that Pontianak may look more special rather than the other cities in Borneo. One of tourist resorts in Pontianak that is worth being as a place that can be visited is museum. The museum that was built in 1975 begin used on October 4 1983 and often visited by the tourists.

The building is designed with the traditional and modern architecture. Nowadays, the museum management is handled by the civilization and tourism service. So, the comfortable for the visitors will be guaranteed by itself. The museum that is located on Jendral A. Yani street has uniqueness that can be showed: show room, administration room, storage, library and also auditorium. Beside, many collections that are available: miniature prehistory, technological, ethnography and numismatics.

Posted By: Lira Risfayanti

History of Pontianak

Pontianak is the capital city of West Kalimantan Province. This city is also known as Khun Thien by the Tionghoa ethnic in Pontianak. This city is known as Equator City, because passed by zero degree horizontal line. In North, exactly in Siantan, there is a equator monument that was built in the place where passed by the zero degree horizontal line. Beside, Pontianak city is also passed by Kapuas river that is the longest river in Indonesia. Kapuas river divides Pontianak city into two parts, it is as a symbol of Pontianak city.

Pontianak was built by Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie, on Wednesday, 23 October 1771 (14 Radjab 1185 H), that was signed by opening the forest in Landak river, Kapuas Small river and Kapuas river junction to build public hall and house as a living place. The place of Government Centre is signed by Jami' Sultant Abdurrrahman Alkadrie Mosque and Kadariah palace, that is located in the Dalam Bugis subdistrict, East Pontianak.

Posted By: Indah Purnama Sari

Equator Monument

Equator Monument is on Khatulistiwa street, North Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The location is about three kms from Pontianak centre, heads for Mempawah. This monument is one of the tourism symbol in Pontianak, and always visited by the people especially for the tourists who come to Pontianak.

This monument at first time was built in 1928 by Astronomical Expedition Team from Dutch. And 1938, it was re-built with some improvement by Opzichter Silaban, an architect. In 1990 this monument had been re-built for the second time by duplicating it in bigger size. The size was five times bigger than the original and its purpose to protect the original statue.

The monument consists of four poles, a sketch of world with an arrow. This building was accredited on September, 21 1991.Every march 21-23 and September 21-23, at midday, the sun passes over the equator line or the culmination; therefore, it makes the shadow of that monument and every other erected things around the statue disappeared, other words the monument and the other things are in the position of without shadow.  This becomes the interesting annually event in Pontianak that makes many people come to see it. 

Posted By: Sari Cahyani