Bandung

Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. It is in the western highland of Java island, about 135 kilometres (84 miles) southeast of Jakarta. Bandung has a cool climate because it is situated 708 meters (2,323 feet) above sea level.

In the past, the Dutch used the area around Bandung for tea plantations. They built roads and made Bandung a beautiful resort city, calling it Parijs van Java or "The Paris of Java." After Indonesia declared independence in 1945, Bandung grew into a busy city with many tall buildings and lots of people.

Today, Bandung is a major technology centre and a Smart City, using technology to help with services and keep people informed. It is also part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The city hosted an important meeting called the Bandung Conference in 1955, and it has a new international airport called Kertajati International Airport that opened in 2018.

History

Main article: History of Bandung

Bandung has a long history. People lived in the area as far back as 1488. In the 1700s and 1800s, the Dutch built roads and farms around Bandung. In 1810, they built a major road called De Groote Postweg, now Jalan Asia-Afrika.

In 1880, the first train from Batavia (now Jakarta) to Bandung was finished, which helped the city grow. By 1906, Bandung became an official city. In the 1920s, the Dutch planned to move their capital to Bandung and built many government buildings, but World War II stopped these plans.

After Indonesia became independent in 1945, Bandung became the capital of West Java province. In 1955, the city hosted the Asian-African Conference, where leaders from Asia and Africa met to support world peace and oppose colonialism. This conference was important for countries seeking independence and changed world politics.

Geography

Bandung is the capital of West Java province. It is about 180 kilometres (110 mi) southeast of Jakarta. The city sits 768 metres (2,520 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by tall volcanic mountains. Bandung lies in a wide flat area called the Bandung Basin. This area provides water for drinking, farming, and fishing.

Bandung has many old buildings with Dutch-style designs, especially from a style called tropical Art Deco. These buildings mix European and local styles. The city has been growing with many new tall buildings being built recently.

The north of Bandung serves as an important water source. The city has faced problems like flooding in the south, pollution from garbage, and extreme weather events.

Bandung has a tropical monsoon climate. This means it has wet and dry seasons. The temperatures stay fairly cool because of its higher elevation.

Government

Bandung’s city area grew from 19.22 square kilometres in 1906 to 167.2965 km² by 1987. The city is split into 30 districts and 153 villages. These districts are grouped into eight sub-city regions: Arcamanik, Cibeunying, Kerees, Kordon, Gedebage, Ujungberung, Bojonagara, and Tegalega. Bambang Tirtoyuliono has been the mayor since 2023. Since 2008, residents have voted directly for the mayor. The council, called the Bandung City Regional House of Representatives, has 50 members.

Bandung City includes 30 districts. The table shows details about their areas, populations from the 2010 and 2020 Censuses, and estimates from mid-2022. It also shows where each district’s administrative centre is, how many administrative villages each has, and the postal codes.

Economy

Bandung's economy is based on tourism, business, creative work, high-tech industries, and manufacturing. The city has many schools, shops, banks, medicine companies, and food producers. The area known as Dago is busy with cafés and restaurants. Jalan Cihampelas is famous for its clothing stores and is still popular today. Well-known shopping places in Bandung include Trans Studio Mall Bandung, Summarecon Mall Bandung, Bandung Indah Plaza, Cihampelas Walk, Paris Van Java Mall, and 23 Paskal Shopping Center.

Bandung is a favorite weekend spot for people from Jakarta because of its cool weather, tasty food, and affordable shops. The city has many places to shop for clothes and visit, including golf courses and a zoo. In the 1990s, Jalan Cihampelas became known for jeans, attracting visitors looking for cheaper fashion items. Near Bandung, there are interesting places to see such as Tangkuban Prahu volcano, Kawah Putih lake, and Patenggang Lake. The city also has museums worth visiting, like the Geological Museum of Bandung and the Asian-African Conference Museum. Since 2014, the city has a special tourist bus called Bandros to help visitors get around.

Tourism

Demographics

Bandung is mainly home to people of Sundanese descent, with Javanese people making up the largest minority group. Other smaller groups include Minang, Minahasan, Chinese, Batak, Malay, Korean, Indian, and Arabs. Most people in Bandung follow Islam, but there are also communities of Protestant, Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and Hindu people.

In 2005, about 2.29 million people lived in Bandung. By 2010, this number grew to 2.395 million, and by 2020, it was 2.444 million. As of mid-2023, Bandung had around 2,506,603 people, with slightly more males than females. This makes Bandung the third-most populous city in Indonesia.

Culture

Bandung is an important cultural center in Indonesia. Many people there are ethnically Sundanese, and they often speak the Sundanese language at home, in schools, and in markets. Standard Indonesian is used for government, business, and formal education.

Bandung has a rich musical history. Traditional instruments like the Angklung, Suling, and Kacapi are used in Tembang Sunda music. Many well-known music bands, such as Kahitna, The Changcuters, Yovie & Nuno, and Project Pop, started in Bandung.

Bandung is home to Persib Bandung, a popular football team that plays in Liga 1. The city also has a basketball team called Prawira Bandung. People enjoy mountain cycling on weekends, especially on the roads to Lembang and Dago. Badminton and golf are also popular sports in the area.

Bandung has local newspapers like Pikiran Rakyat, Galamedia, and Tribun Jabar. There are local TV stations such as TVRI Jawa Barat, Bandung TV, MQTV, and PJTV. Many radio stations also broadcast from Bandung. The city was even featured on an American TV show called The Amazing Race 23.

Transport

Bandung can be reached by highways from Jakarta. An intercity toll highway called Cipularang Toll Road, connecting Jakarta, Karawang, Purwakarta, Padalarang and Bandung, was completed in May 2005. It is the fastest way to reach Bandung from the capital by road. Driving time is about 1.5 hours. There are three other options: the Puncak route (Jakarta-Cianjur/Sukabumi-Bandung), Purwakarta route (Jakarta-Cikampek-Purwakarta-Cikalong Wetan-Padalarang-Cimahi-Bandung) and the Subang route (Jakarta-Cikampek-Subang-Lembang-Bandung). From cities further east (Cirebon, Tasikmalaya and Central Java province), Bandung can be accessed through the main provincial road. Indonesian National Route 3 links Bandung with the rest of Java towards Cilegon and Ketapang (Banyuwangi).

The Pasupati Bridge was built to help with traffic in the city. The 2.8-kilometre (1.7 mi) cable-stayed bridge goes through the Cikapundung Valley. It is 30 to 60 metres (98 to 197 feet) wide and was finished in June 2005. The bridge is part of Bandung's city highways plan.

Bandung has two intercity bus terminals: Leuwipanjang, for buses from the west, and Cicaheum, for buses from the east. Both are very full and will be replaced by a new terminal at Gedebage. The new terminal will be next to the Gedebage railway station.

Taxis and Carpooling are easy to find. The main way people get around is by angkot minibuses; angkot are private and go many routes around the city. They are cheap but not very comfortable. Passengers can ask drivers or look at terminals for angkot routes.

Because of the railway lines in Bandung, only two named regional railway services, Lokal Bandung Raya and Lokal Garut Cibatuan, serve the city. They go to areas east and west of the city such as Cimahi, Padalarang, Rancaekek, Cicalengka, and some nearby towns. KAI Commuter now runs these services.

Boseh is a dock-based bicycle-sharing system provided by the Transport Service of Bandung.

Public buses in Bandung and around the city are run by different companies. There are 16 bus lines now. DAMRI buses used to be the main bus company, but they now only run 5 routes. The city government started its own bus system called Trans Metro Bandung in 2009. By 2022, it had 5 main routes and 1 smaller route. Both DAMRI and Trans Metro Bandung buses look similar to TransJakarta buses but can be stopped anywhere and share the road with other traffic.

The provincial government runs a bus route called Buratas. In 2021, a new bus system called Trans Metro Pasundan started. Two companies, Big Bird (part of Blue Bird Group) and DAMRI, run 5 routes under this system. New bus routes sometimes face problems because some people do not want them to start.

A bigger plan to improve the bus system will start in 2024. It will bring all bus companies together under one system called Trans Bagja. It will have special bus lanes and frequent buses. The buses will be electric. The city also runs tour buses called Bandung Tour on Bus (Bandros).

Bandung has two large railway stations, Bandung and Kiaracondong Stations. There are also smaller stations like Cimindi, Andir, Ciroyom, Cikudapateuh, and Gedebage Stations. Railway lines connect Bandung to Cianjur, Jakarta, Purwakarta, Bekasi, Karawang, and Cikampek to the west, and Surabaya, Malang, Yogyakarta, and Solo to the east. The Whoosh high-speed rail now runs from Padalarang and Tegalluar to Jakarta's Halim station. Because of space problems, the stations are not in Bandung city centre. A feeder service will run between Padalarang HSR station and the main Bandung station.

Airport

Bandung's main airport is Husein Sastranegara Airport (BDO). It is near the Dirgantara aerospace area. The Kertajati International Airport in Majalengka Regency was built to replace Husein Sastranegara Airport. Kertajati International Airport opened in June 2018. In July 2023, the president announced that Husein Sastranegara Airport will close and all flights will move to Kertajati when it is fully ready.

Education

Bandung is an important place for learning in Indonesia. It has many colleges and schools for children. There are 16 universities in the city, including three owned by the government, and 45 professional schools. Students can study subjects like social sciences, technology, and tourism.

Some famous universities in Bandung include the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia’s oldest technical university, founded in 1920. The Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia is a top school for teachers, started in 1954. The Universitas Padjadjaran is known for medicine, law, communication, and economics. There are also international schools for children whose families speak different languages.

In the north of Bandung is the Bosscha Observatory, Indonesia’s only observatory. It was built between 1923 and 1928 and later became part of the Bandung Institute of Technology’s Department of Astronomy.

International relations

Main article: List of twin town and sister cities in Indonesia

Many countries have opened offices called consulates in Bandung. Some of these countries include France, Netherlands, Poland, Latvia, Hungary, and Austria.

Bandung also has friendly partnerships with several cities around the world. These include Braunschweig in Germany, Cotabato City in the Philippines, Cuenca in Ecuador, Fort Worth in the United States, Kuching in Malaysia, Liuzhou in China, Melbourne in Australia, Namur in Belgium, Petaling Jaya in Malaysia, and Suwon in South Korea.

Notable people

Main category: People from Bandung

This section lists famous people from Bandung, the capital of West Java in Indonesia. These people are known for their work in many different areas. They have helped their communities and the world in many ways.