Palembang: the river city of Srivijaya

Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia and the capital of South Sumatra. It sits on the Musi river, which is wide, brown and busy, and it was the centre of the Srivijaya empire, a maritime power that controlled the straits and traded with China, India and the Arab world between the seventh and thirteenth centuries.

Modern Palembang is a city of about 1.7 million people, with a historic core, a long riverfront, a light rail line built for the 2018 Asian Games, and a food culture that revolves around fish. It is not a polished tourist destination, but it has a strong identity, and the river gives it a scale and a drama that most Sumatran cities lack.

Srivijaya and the Musi

Srivijaya was a thalassocracy, a empire built on sea trade rather than land conquest. Its capital is generally placed at Palembang, on the Musi, where archaeological remains, inscriptions and Chinese records point to a wealthy port with a Buddhist scholarly tradition. The empire controlled the Malacca and Sunda straits and dominated the trade in spices, camphor, sandalwood and gold.

The Srivijaya period left few monuments in Palembang itself. The most important site is the Bukit Siguntang, a hill with old tombs and inscriptions, and the Kedukan Bukit inscription, one of the earliest written records in Indonesia, was found nearby. The museum and the archaeological park are modest, but they connect the city to a much larger history.

The Musi's importance extended to intellectual life. In the seventh century, the Chinese monk Yi Jing spent several months in Palembang on his way to India, studying Sanskrit and translating Buddhist texts. He recorded that the city was a major scholarly centre with over a thousand monks, advising Chinese pilgrims to spend a year or two here before continuing to the universities of Nalanda. This Buddhist heritage is why Chinese shrines such as Pulau Kemaro remain so central to the city's spiritual map.

Ampera and Kuto Besak

The Ampera bridge is the city's landmark, a 224-metre steel truss bridge opened in 1965 and named after the slogan of the independence struggle, Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat. It was designed to lift for ships, but the mechanism has not worked for decades. The bridge is best seen at dusk, when it is lit and the river traffic passes beneath it.

At the southern end of the bridge is Benteng Kuto Besak, a fort built in the late eighteenth century by the Sultan of Palembang. The walls and gates remain, and the site has been turned into a riverside park with food stalls and a view over the Musi. It is a pleasant place to walk in the evening, and the starting point for river cruises.

Pulau Kemaro

Pulau Kemaro is a small island in the Musi, about 20 minutes by boat from the Kuto Besak jetty. It is a Chinese-Indonesian shrine complex, with a pagoda, a temple and a large banyan tree, and it is busiest during the Cap Go Meh festival, when thousands of people visit. The island is also a pleasant place for a walk and a picnic.

The story attached to the island is a legend of a Chinese princess and a Palembang prince, and the temple is said to mark their grave. The boat trip and the island are cheap, and the river views are good. Combine it with the Kuto Besak waterfront and the Ampera bridge for an afternoon.

Museums and the old city

The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum, near Kuto Besak, covers the history of the Palembang sultanate and the Srivijaya period, with collections of ceramics, weapons, manuscripts and royal regalia. The building itself is a restored palace, and the setting on the river is part of the experience.

The Balaputra Dewa Museum, near the Bukit Siguntang, has a larger archaeological collection, including Hindu-Buddhist statuary and artefacts from the Srivijaya period. The old city around the Musi and the Masjid Agung is worth a walk, with colonial buildings, Chinese shophouses and the riverfront.

Food: pempek and beyond

Palembang is the home of pempek, a fish cake made from minced fish and tapioca flour, shaped into cylinders or balls and served with a sweet-sour vinegar sauce called cuko. It comes in many forms: kapal selam, with egg inside; lenjer, long and thin; adaan, round and fried; and keriting, curly. It is eaten as a snack or a meal, and it is everywhere.

Other local dishes include tekwan, a fish ball soup with mushrooms and noodles; model, a fish cake in a clear broth; pindang patin, a sour fish soup with pineapple and herbs; and kemplang, a grilled fish cracker. The food is sour, fresh and less coconut-heavy than West Sumatran cooking, and the warungs along the river are the best places to try it.

Practical and a plan

Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II airport is about 30 minutes from the centre, with flights to Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and other regional cities. The LRT connects the airport to the city, and it is cheap and efficient. The city is spread out, so use the LRT, ride-hailing cars or the river boats.

One day is enough for the Ampera bridge, Kuto Besak, the museum and the food. Two days adds Pulau Kemaro and the Bukit Siguntang. The dry season, roughly May to September, is the best time to visit, though Palembang is hot and humid year-round and the Musi can flood in the wet season.

• Morning: Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum and the old city.
• Midday: pempek or tekwan for lunch, then Kuto Besak and the riverfront.
• Afternoon: boat to Pulau Kemaro, return for sunset at the Ampera bridge.
• Evening: pindang patin and kemplang at a riverside warung.

Questions people actually ask

What is Palembang famous for?

Pempek, the Ampera bridge, the Srivijaya empire and the Musi river. It is also known for its fish-based cuisine, its light rail system and the 2018 Asian Games, which it co-hosted with Jakarta.

How do I get around Palembang?

The LRT connects the airport and the city centre, and it is cheap and reliable. Ride-hailing cars and motorbike taxis are useful for the rest of the city, and boats run from Kuto Besak to Pulau Kemaro.

Is one day enough for Palembang?

Yes for the main sights: the Ampera bridge, Kuto Besak, the museum and the food. Add a second day for Pulau Kemaro, Bukit Siguntang and a slower exploration of the old city.

What should I eat in Palembang?

Start with pempek and cuko, then try tekwan, model and pindang patin. Kemplang is a good snack to take home. The warungs along the Musi are the best places to eat.