Palembang

Palembang was once the veritable cultural, economic and political hub of Sumatra Island as a whole. Jetties lined up and down the meandering courses of the Musi River that now splits the modern metropolis in two, each sending out shipments of chilli, curry powder, ivory and gold into the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. But that was more than 10 centuries ago, and while Palembang still booms with commerce, it’s of the less-regal coal and palm oil kind. Meanwhile, the city’s history has been buried beneath layers of modernity, all of which are crowned by the iconic structures of the Ampera Bridge, or restored, as in the case of the Great Mosque of Palembang that has been repainted white to shimmer just as it did in the 18th century. But photo-worthy sights have never been the province of Palembang tour guides. No sir, folks here prefer to talk of their home’s lively atmosphere, led by students out of Indonesia’s oldest journalism school, and energised by spicy seafood dishes of pindang and pempek that bubble in the street-side cauldrons.