Banjarmasin is the capital of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Its population is about 444,000 (1991), making it the forth largest city on Borneo.
Banjarmasin is served by the Syamsudin Noor Airport, which is located about 25 km outside the town. The town is also served by a port, named Pelabuhan Trisakti Banjarmasin. A fairly important deepwater port, Pelabuhan Trisakti Banjarmasin is the trade center of the Barito basin; exports include rubber, pepper, timber, petroleum, coal, gold, and diamonds. Passenger ships and ferries to and from Java also carry their operation here.
The city is laced with flood-prone waterways, and many houses are built on rafts or stilts over the water. Many of such waterways are also used for travel, using relatively small rowboats (only major rivers are accessible by larger speedboats, tugboats, longboats, and barges).
Nan Serunai was an ancient kingdom in South Kalimantan, but soon it was replaced by Buddhist kingdom of Tanjungpuri. In the fourteenth century, Banjarmasin was part of the Hindu kingdom of Negara Dipa and Negara Daha respectfully, a vessel of Majapahit. But Pangeran Samudera converted to become a Muslimin the fifteenth century, and Banjarese people became muslims ever since. The Dutch opened trade there in 1606. The British controlled the city for several brief periods, and in 1787 it became a Dutch protectorate.
The Hikayat Banjar is the chronicle of Banjarmasin. This text, also called the History of Lambung Mangkurat, contains the history of the kings of Banjar and of Kota Waringin in South-east and South Borneo respectively.
The Sabilal Muhtadin Mosque, located along the Martapura riverfront, is a major landmark in the city. Built in 1980, the mosque could accommodate thousands of worshippers on Friday prayers. A state university (Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, UNLAM) is also located in the town.
A floating marketplace, where buyers and sellers visit by boat, is located on the western outskirts of town. It is one of the two such marketplace in Southeast Asia, the other one located in Thailand .
A famous local dish is "soto banjar", a kind of a spicy soup usually served with lime. Another notable local dish is "Ketupat Kandangan", a ketupat dish with coconut milk soup (can be served with either chicken or snakehead meat). |
