Thousands Pack Old Town: Touring While Learning Colonial History in Jakarta's Heart

A total of 15,689 people visited the Kota Tua Tourism Area in Tamansari, West Jakarta during the Christmas Holiday on Thursday, December 25, 2025. This number represents the cumulative count of visitors arriving from 8:00 AM WIB until 9:00 PM WIB.

This figure confirms Kota Tua's enduring appeal as an urban Tourism magnet, particularly during long holidays when city residents seek meaningful open spaces. Colonial buildings, open plazas, and historic museums formed the backdrop for thousands choosing to celebrate Christmas by walking through the past.

"Total 15,689 visitors," stated Kota Tua manager Ismail in Jakarta on Thursday.

Most visitors were domestic tourists, though Foreign Tourists were still visible among the crowds.

Detailed figures show 15,326 domestic visitors and 363 foreign visitors.

This popularity isn't new but stems from the area's deep historical roots as Jakarta's original center.

Jakarta Old Town constitutes a Historical Area, marking Batavia's 17th-century origins when the Dutch VOC Netherlands established its colonial trade and governance hub in the archipelago. 

Here emerged the port, spice warehouses, trading offices, and first European settlements, forming Jakarta's foundational urban structure.

Historical traces remain visible through European architecture like Fatahillah Museum (formerly Batavia City Hall), Kota Post Office, Bank Indonesia Museum, Puppet Museum, and ancient canals that once served as logistics routes. 

The area functioned as the colonial elite's epicenter before being abandoned due to disease outbreaks and the city's southward expansion.

Today it transforms into a cultural public space and Historical Tourism destination. Revitalization created not just an open-air museum but a social arena where citizens, street artists, history communities, and tourists converge—a living past coexisting with modern Jakarta.

To maintain orderly interaction between people, history, and public space, security becomes crucial during Holiday seasons.

Ismail explained comprehensive security deployment across multiple points.

"Security personnel are stationed at every entrance—our team, supplemented by Satpol PP officers and regular Police units," Ismail stated.

Separately, Tamansari Subdistrict Satpol PP Chief Goodman Sidabutar confirmed additional personnel deployment.

"Approximately 120 officers are on standby in Kota Tua," he said. (ANTARA)