Palembang

About Palembang

Palembang grew up on the broad, brown Musi River, and the river still sets the rhythm of the city: wooden boats ferry people between the banks, stilt houses line the water, and the red Ampera Bridge ties the two halves of the capital of South Sumatra together. Many historians place the heart of the Srivijaya maritime empire here, which from roughly the seventh century made Palembang a hub of trade and Buddhist learning.

Later the Palembang Sultanate ruled from the riverbank, leaving the walls of Benteng Kuto Besak and the Grand Mosque, while Chinese and Arab merchant families built the riverside quarters of Kampung Kapitan and Kampung Al-Munawar. Modern Palembang adds Jakabaring Sport City, which co-hosted the 2018 Asian Games, and a busy food scene led by pempek, the fish cake served with a sweet-sour vinegar sauce.

The best way to see the city is from the water. A boat trip downstream reaches the pagoda of Kemaro Island, and evenings along the plaza in front of the old fort, with the bridge lit up, show Palembang at its liveliest.