The cityscape of Medan is gradually being transformed by developement.
Medan Introduction
Medan is the largest city in Sumatra, and the third largest in Indonesia. This bustling city is the capital of the province of North Sumatra. It is served by the Belawan harbour and the Polonia International Airport.
Medan was founded in 1590. At that time, it was simply called Kampung Medan, or Medan village. The actual site where the village was founded is at the confluence of the Deli River and Babura River. The area around Medan is called Tanah Deli, or Deli Land, and it is here that the Kingdom of Deli was established. This happened when Sultan Iskandar Muda of Acheh sent his warrior Pahlawan Laksamana Khoja Bintan to Medan to be his representative. Up till then, most of the inhabitants of Medan are the Karo Batak people, the same still inhabiting the highlands around Berastagi.
Although the Dutch had been governing Tanah Deli since 1658, Medan only began to enjoy significant development when the Dutch began to clear vast tracts of Medan land for the planting of tobacco from 1860s. Medan was made the capital of North Sumatra in 1915, and was conferred city status in 1918.
Today Medan is the third most populous city in Indonesia after Jakarta and Surabaya. The name came from the Karo Batak word meaning "to get healthy", although it is translated into Indonesia to mean "battle field", because the forces of Acheh and Deli went to war over Medan. Medan has a sizeable Chinese population, particularly the Hokkien who often have ties with the Chinese people in Penang and Phuket. One of the most prominent person in Medan's history is the Hakka tycoon Tjong A Fie who happened to be the nephew of the equally illustrious Cheong Fatt Tze of Penang. Also making their presence felt is a sizeable Tamil population, often called the Keling people.
Although Medan has seen significant development in recent years - it is one of the richest cities, with one of the strongest economy and highest per capita income in Indonesia - there is still a number of heritage buildings that are worth in Medan.
I had the opportunity of Medan on foot, and was able to document some of the important structures for AsiaExplorers.
Medan Photo Album
As one of the richest cities in Indonesia, Medan has seen significant development in the last few years.
Street food is an essential part of life in Medan.
Crossing the street is quite a challenge in Medan.
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