KEMARO ISLAND

          Kemaro Island, is located in the middle of  the Musi River Delta, located about 6 km from the Ampera Bridge. Kemaro island is located in the industrial area between Sriwijaya Fertilizer Plant and Pertamina Plaju and Sungai Gerong. Kemaro Island is a recreation area in the Musi River headliner. In this place there is a Chinese temple (temple Hok Tjing Rio). On the island there are also Kemaro Buddhist temples frequented by Buddhists to pray or to visit the tomb. There are also often held the Cap Go Meh every Chinese New Year. Kemaro name was taken because this island has never flood, although the Musi River overflowed. Behind the beauty of it, Palembang, South Sumatra, a tragic love story tucked Palembang princess, Siti Fatimah. On this island there is also said to be the tomb of the last resting place of the princess. According to local legend, in ancient times, Palembang is sent to a daughter married to a son of the king of China. The princess asked 9 jars of gold as dowry. To avoid the pirate gold urns are covered vegetable and when he saw the boy king opened it contained only vegetable jars are then banished to the river. Sense of disappointment and regret making the king's son decided to throw ourselves into the river and drowned. The princess had come to throw ourselves into the river and drowned. The princess was buried in the Kemaro Island and built a shrine to his memory . Many people come to this place to see the history of it that has combination between love and religion.

Source : https://www.google.com/search?q=kemaro+island&client=ms-opera-mobile&channel=new&espv=1&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjd5fW6wqvTAhXJpY8KHVY9ALwQ_AUICCgC&biw=360&bih=485&dpr=3#imgrc=4NXs7d4lEdbCyM:

PEMPEK

          Pempek or Empek empek is Palembang traditional food which is made of fish and flour. It's hard to say thag Palembang is a centre of pempek because almost all the areas here produce them.
          If we want to eat pempek Palembang, we will eat them with the sauce that we call as cuka or cuko in Palembang. Cuko is made of the boiling water, brown sugar, cayenne, garlic, and salt. If you don't like spicy, you can have pempek with sweet cuko.
          The most popular type of pempek is "Pempek Kapal Selam" is made of eggs, and the others are pempek lenjer, pempek bulat or "Ada'an", pempek kulit ikan, pempek pistel, pempek telur, and pempek keriting.
          We can find pempek easily in all over Palembang. We can find them in the restaurant, eat street, school canteen, and so on. In 1980, people carried their pempek on the shoulders to sell them by walking around Palembang.
          Based on the history, pempek has been in Palembang since the coming of Chinese man to Palembang. The name of "Empek" or "Apek" is convinced from "Apek" as the term for an old Chinese man who made pempek.
          Besides talking about the traditional food in each city, we also know some values that we can take when we want to do something, especially for us as an eastern, we know well about it. Just for example, don't forget to clean up our hands before eating, that's one of the cleanliness values that we know and it's a must for us to keep our body healthy. And another one, let's have a sit while eating. Especially for the girls. Because it's not good for us to have a meal while standing up.
          So, if you got a chance to come to Palembang, don't forget to taste this Palembang traditional food that can make the visitors who visit Palembang want to try this food more and more.

CHENG HO MOSQUE

          Cheng Ho Mosque Palembang is a mosque which is built in Chinese architecture style, Arabic, and Palembang. The full name of this mosque is Al Islam Muhammad Cheng Ho Sriwijaya mosque. You can walk to the south from the central of Palembang exactly in Amin Mulia housing, Jakabaring. There is a mosque in bright colour with the Chinese architecture style.
          Cheng Ho Mosque Palembang was built with the background to keep in touch between the Chinese and the Palembangnesse and also as place to study about Islamic and introduce it to the societies out there.
          Cheng Ho was known as a chinese force commander of the sea from XV century. It was trusted to lead the commerce expedition went along the archipelago by using a very big fleet although at first the tour that Cheng Ho did was a commerce expedition but undirectly, he himself introduced Islam to the area where he stopped in. Because of his good behaviour, Cheng Ho got many followers.
          The construction of this mosque is dominated by red and green. It's around 625 m2. It has two floors and obtains around 600 congregations. There are two towers in the mosque designed as a chima temple in China. The mosque which is combinated by the three nations is also completed by a libary, office, and another multi functional rooms. The children are also able to study in Qur'an Education Centre Park freely.
          The both tower of Cheng Ho mosque Palembang has 5 floors that simbolize the amount of Shalat in a day. The tower is 17 m high, it simbolizes the amount of rakaat that must be done by moslem in a day. In the outside of the tower, there's Palembang traditional ornament, it is " The horns of the goat ".
          Right now, besides in Palembang. There are some Cheng Ho mosques in Indonesia. They are in Surabaya, Pasuruan and Makasar. Cheng Ho Mosque in Surabaya is the first Cheng Ho Mosque in Palembang.
          Based on the data, the number of chinese ethnic who become a moslem in South Sumatera is approximately 4000 people. While the moslem chinise who live in Palembang are approximately 2000 people.
          That's why this place becomes a tourism destination place in Palembang. Many people come here to see the uniqueness of this mosque.

Source : https://www.google.com/search?q=masjid+cheng+ho+palembang&client=ms-opera-mobile&channel=new&espv=1&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1lIaWtefSAhWDa7wKHWiwCyUQ_AUICCgC&biw=360&bih=485#imgrc=bUOfCbr0AXVIyM:

KUTO BESAK FORT

       
          Talking about Tourism Destination means that we are talking about the places in each cities in order to attract tourists to visit them as tourism destination places. In Palembang, there are some places that can be tourism destination, such as Kuto Besak Fort, Ampera Bridge, Kemaro Island, Siguntang Hill, Kampung Kapitan, Agung Mosque, and so on.

          One of tourism destination places in Palembang is Kuto Besak Fort. Kuto Besak Fort is the central name of Palembang Darussalam Sutlanate. Kuto means a high wall fence in Sanskrit. This fort was built by Sultan Mahmud Badarrudin I  in 1780 and then it was continued by his grandson Sultan Mahmud Bahauddin and it waa finished by 1797. At that time, Palembang was famous as the literature central and Islam religion. The main material of this fort construction is made of the combination of the stone chalk  with the egg whites which are brought from all over areas or villages.
          It has the shape of square with 288 m in length, 183 m width, 6,20 m high, 2 m thickness, and the areal capacity is 50 hectare. This fort has been attacked for many times by the dutch colonies which was famous  in a battle in 1819 and 1821.
        The most terrifying battle was going on for 13 days in 1821. The dutch mobilizied 500 formations, 118 battleships. Although the resistance of Sultan with his citizenries was strong enough but the fort could be won by the dutch and then Sultan Mahmud Badarrudin II was arrested and isolated to Ternate (Maluku Utara) SMB II died on September 26th 1832. That's history of Kuto Besak Fort.
           Kuto Besak Fort is located not far from the Ampera bridge. It'¢ located in the central of Palembang near Agung mosque. Many people and tourists come here to see the fort. It's opened everyday. You can come into this fort with just only 5 thousand rupiah. You can see the war equipments, the heroes' attires, and so on. You can take a photoshoot here because the scenery is very good especially in the afternoon. The way how to get here is easy so you can get here by car or public transportation, motorcylce, or bycle you can choose whatever you want. So, don't forget to come here to this fort if you come to Palembang, because thia fort is very historical for Palembang people to memorize our heroes' struggle to defend this fort.
          

PASAR 16 ILIR

 

          Pasar 16 Ilir is the most crowded and the biggest market in Palembang. it has four floors that is modern and clean. it isn't quite so far from Ampera bridge. so, the tourist can go there easily. we can find some trade activities here. Start from clothes, foods, until souvenirs are available here. This place is also famous in Palembang because we can get many kind of things in low price although sometimes it's expensive but in this place we can do negotiate with the sellers. We also have to be a little bit smart in negotiating the stuffs and choose which one is good so that the sellers can't decieve you in any ways.

          we can see Pasar 16 from Ampera bridge clearly. we can find many customers here not only for Palembang people but also the societies in all over South Sumatera. It is opened everyday start from in the morning until afternoon you still come to this market. in the Basement, we can feel comfortable with the ceramic floor and the lighting. there are many shops that sell branded stuffs, such as branded shoes, branded clothes, and some other accessories. Many people from different ages come here to buy many things as they want, start from the teenagers until the old men or women. Especially for the girls, we know that they might love shopping very much to satisfy themselves. 

          After going around in the basement, we can go to the aisles on the first floor. there will be many kinds of Palembang traditional products, such as Songket and so on. Songket is a Palembang industry handmade which is made of silk fabric or kemas fabric that is dipped with the colour substance based on the people who weave it. It's available in red, green blue, and so on. After getting dipped, let the thread dry and then make it weaved in different  designs combinated with the gold thread. There are many kind of songket, such as Silungkang, Ulos, Kain Bugis, and Kain Samarinda. They are offered in some different prices start from 1 until 20 millions.

          It's not only about the new stuffs that we can find here but also the second stuffs or we call it as Barang BJ in Palembang. if we can be more careful in choosing these import products, we can get the quality stuffs in a good condition with low payment. 

         If you feel exhausted after going around here, don't worry because there are many small shops with a tent that sell many kinds of delicious foods. we can eat here while enjoying the situation nearby the Musi River. There are also floating restaurants. These restaurants are very famous in Palembang. People call them as Rumah Makan Apung because people can enjoy their meals while sitting on the small boat floating in the Musi river. it will be great.

         We can take a taxi, public  transportation, bus, or ship if you want to shop here. it's very easy to go here. if we leave from the airport, we get to Jendral Sudirman street and Kolonel H. Burlian street by Trans Musi. you don't need to be worry to get the public transportation to reach this place. you can ask the people where Pasar 16 is. they will let you get to know where it is.