Medan
Medan is the capital of North Sumatra province in Indonesia. Located along the
northeastern coast of Sumatra island, Medan is the fourth biggest city by
population in Indonesia, behind Jakarta,
Surabaya and Bandung.
Bordered by the Strait of Malacca, Medan is a busy trading city around the
island as located near the strait which is one of the most important shipping
lanes in the world.
Medan is the gateway to the western part of Indonesia, accessible via the Port
of Belawan and Kuala Namu International Airport, stated the city as the third
largest city in the country by economy after Jakarta and Surabaya, this city
economy is linked well with Malaysian cities (especially Penang and Kuala
Lumpur) and Singapore by trade, service and natural resource exchanges.
Both the seaport and the airport are connected to the city center via toll road
and railway. Medan also became the first city in Indonesia to have an airport
supported with train service.
There are many old buildings in Medan that still retain their Dutch
architecture. These include the old City Hall, the Medan Post Office, Inna
Dharma Deli Hotel, Titi Gantung (a bridge over the railway), The London Sumatra
building, Tjong A Fie Mansion, AVROS, Warenhuis, and The Tirtanadi Water Tower,
mostly located around the old town Kesawan.
There are several historic places such as Maimoon Palace built in years
1887–1891, where the Sultan of Deli still lives (the Sultan no longer holds any
official power), The Great Mosque of Medan built in 1906 in the Moroccan style
by the Dutch architect A.J. Dingemans,.[28] both location of Maimoon Palace and
The Great Mosque are close. The Mosque located on Jalan Sisingamangaraja and The
Palace located on Jalan Brigjen Katamso.
Gunung Timur Temple or locally known as Tông-Yuk-Kuàng in Hokkien, is a city's
oldest Taoism temple, located on Jalan Hang Tuah. Medan has a Buddhist temple
named as Maha Vihara Maitreya, and there is also a Buddhist centre nearby named
as Maha Karuna Buddhist Centre (MKBC) this temple complex known as one of the
biggest non-historical Buddhist temple in Indonesia, both situated around Cemara
Asri housing complex.
Medan Cathedral is the oldest church in the city, was built by the Dutch and
Indian community nearby, and the church was named as Indische Kerk back then,
located on the old town along Jalan Pemuda. Sri Mariamman Temple is the first
Hindu temple in Medan built around 1881 by The Tamil peoples in the city,
located on Jalan Zainul Arifin, The City's Little India or more known as Kampung
Madras, the temple has unique south Indian architecture with hundred Hindu deity
statues around the building.
The nearest International airport is
Kuala Namu International Airport, located approximately 39 km (24 mi) from
downtown. The airport has direct domestic flights to many major cities in
Sumatra and Java. There are also some international flights to Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, etc. An airport train known as
Airport Railink Services (ARS) connects the airport to city center.
The train runs from Medan Main Station beside the Merdeka Square at Jalan Balai
Kota from 4:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m, and from the airport from 5:25 a.m. to 9:30
p.m. It is the fastest way to reach the airport from the city, taking 30
minutes. Alternate modes of transport from the airport into the city take longer
(30 to 47 minutes).
Popular attractions in Medan:
| Medan Popular Attractions | |
|---|---|
|
• Maimun Palace |
• Medan Grand Mosque |
undo Indonesia Popular Destinations