Bekasi City is a city in the province of West Java, Indonesia. The name Bekasi comes from the word "bagasasi," which has the same meaning as "candrabaga," as written in the Tugu Inscription from the Tarumanegara Kingdom era. It is the name of the river that flows through the city. It is part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area and the fourth most populous city in Indonesia. Currently, Bekasi City is developing into a residential area for urbanites and an industrial center. Bekasi City is also known as the City of Patriots and the City of Warriors.
Geographically, Bekasi City sits 19 meters above sea level. It is located east of Jakarta and borders East Jakarta to the west, Bekasi Regency to the north and east, Bogor Regency to the south, and Depok City to the southwest.
Of the total area, more than 50% has become an effective urban area with 90% residential areas, 4% industrial areas, 3% commercial areas, and the remainder for other buildings.
Bekasi was once the capital of the Tarumanegara Kingdom, known as Dayeuh Sundasembawa or Jayagiri. This city was the birthplace of Maharaja Tarusbawa, the founder of the Sunda Kingdom, who descended from the Sundanese kings, down to the 40th generation, Queen Ragumulya, the last ruler of Pajajaran.
During the Dutch East Indies colonial era, Bekasi was a district within the Meester Cornelis Regency, which was part of the Batavia En Omelanden residency. At that time, the people's lives were still dominated by Chinese landlords. This situation continued until the Japanese military occupation. The Japanese military occupation also changed the conditions of society at that time. Japan implemented Japanization in all sectors of life. The Meester Cornelis Regency became Ken Jatinegara, whose territory included Gun Cikarang, Gun Kebayoran, and Gun Matraman. In 1950, the Meester Cornelis Regency (Jatinegara) changed its name to Bekasi Regency. And Bekasi City was a sub-district of Bekasi Regency which later developed and was upgraded in 1982 to the administrative city of Bekasi. Bekasi City at that time consisted of four sub-districts: East Bekasi, South Bekasi, West Bekasi, and North Bekasi, and encompassed 18 urban villages and 8 villages. In 1996 the administrative city of Bekasi was again upgraded to municipality (now “city”).
The sub-districts in Bekasi City are:
According to the 2010 census, North Bekasi District has the highest population density in Bekasi City, at 12,237 people per square kilometer, while Bantar Gebang District has the lowest population density at 4,310 people per square kilometer. Meanwhile, job seekers in the city are predominantly high school graduates or their equivalent, accounting for approximately 65.6% of the total registered job seekers.
As a residential area for urban residents, Bekasi has developed many independent cities, including Kota Harapan Indah, Kemang Pratama, and Galaxi City. Furthermore, developer Summarecon Agung is currently developing the 240-hectare Summarecon Bekasi independent city in North Bekasi district. As the middle-upper class grows, Bekasi is also aggressively developing luxury apartments and shopping centers.
Bekasi's economy is supported by trade, hotels, and restaurants. Initially, Bekasi's shopping center only developed along Jalan Ir. H. Juanda, which stretches 3 km from the city square to the Bekasi terminal. Several shopping centers have been built along this street since 1978.
Since 1993, the area along Jl. Ahmad Yani has developed into a commercial district with the emergence of several malls and shopping centers. The commercial area continues to grow, extending to Jl. K. H. Noer Ali (Kalimalang), Kranji, and Kota Harapan Indah.
In addition, the existence of industrial areas in this city is also an engine of economic growth, by placing the processing industry as the main one.[10] Industrial locations in Bekasi City are in the Rawa Lumbu and Medan Satria areas.
Economic growth is an indicator that can describe the economic performance of a region. Except in 2004, Bekasi City's economic growth has consistently outpaced that of West Java and Indonesia. In 2004, Bekasi City's economy grew by 5.38%, higher than West Java's 4.77% but below Indonesia's Economic Growth Rate (LER), which reached 5.50%. In 2005, with 5.65%, Bekasi City's LPE was slightly higher than West Java and Indonesia's 5.62% and 5.55%, respectively. Similarly, in 2006, Bekasi City's LPE, which reached 6.07%, was still better than West Java and Indonesia's 6.01% and 5.48%, respectively.
Bekasi is one of the tourist cities in West Java Province, tourist attractions in Bekasi, including:
Currently, there are 3,110 schools, 62,852 students, and 2,260 teachers registered throughout Bekasi City and its surrounding areas. There are 19 senior high schools (SMA) in Bekasi City, consisting of 12 public senior high schools, 2 public Islamic senior high schools, and 2 public special needs senior high schools (SMALLB), all managed by the Bekasi City Education Office.
Bekasi City has 31 community health centers (Puskesmas) spread across its territory. Furthermore, the city has launched the Bekasi Health Card (KBS), which is distributed to low-income residents. Furthermore, Bekasi City has several major hospitals, such as the Bekasi City Regional General Hospital and Mitra Keluarga Hospital.
To serve city residents, intercity and intracity buses are available to transport passengers to various destinations. The Jabotabek commuter line (KRL Jabotabek) runs from Bekasi to Jakarta Kota, transporting city residents working in Jakarta. TransJakarta feeder buses also operate from Kemang Pratama, Galaxi City, and Harapan Indah. The government is also planning to build a monorail connecting East Bekasi with Cawang and Kuningan.
In Bekasi City, minibuses, with a maximum capacity of 12 passengers, are widely used, commonly known as KOASI (Bekasi Transportation Cooperative). KOASI serves city residents from the Bekasi terminal to various housing complexes in the city. Meanwhile, becaks (rickshaws) are still used as a means of transportation within housing complexes. The number of motorcycle taxis has increased significantly along with the rise in the number of two-wheeled vehicles. Motorcycle taxis are used for short-distance transportation (2–5 km) and also within housing complexes.
As a satellite city of Jakarta, high levels of traffic congestion during rush hour are common, especially on the connecting roads between East Jakarta and Bekasi. This is due to the rapid growth of motorized vehicles, which is not matched by additional road space. Therefore, Bekasi City is being prepared for the development of supporting infrastructure for the capital city of Jakarta. The flat land is considered suitable for buildings, transportation facilities, and business centers. The Bekasi City spatial plan is outlined in the development concept of the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Puncak, and Cianjur (Jabodetabekjur) Development Cooperation Agency.
Bekasi City is crossed by the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road, with four access toll gates: West Pondok Gede, East Pondok Gede, West Bekasi, and East Bekasi. As well as the Jakarta Outer Ring Road with four access toll gates: Jati Warna, Jati Asih, Kalimalang, and Bintara. To overcome traffic congestion connecting the City Center with North Bekasi, the government together with developer Summarecon Agung has built a 1 km long flyover. In addition, the government also plans to build the Bulak Kapal flyover on Jalan Joyomartono, East Bekasi.
To meet the sporting needs, the Bekasi City government is currently building a new international-standard stadium. This stadium has a capacity of around 30,000 seats and is planned to be the home of the Persipasi football club.[23] The government is also developing several sports fields at the Bekasi Sports Hall and beautifying the city park.
In waste processing, around 35% of the waste pile has been managed, and the local government has designated the Bantar Gebang area in the south of Bekasi city as a final waste disposal area.
Meanwhile, the source of clean water for the people of Bekasi city comes from surface water sources. The Bekasi city government collaborates with the Bekasi Regency government in the ownership and management of clean water supply through the Bekasi PDAM. [24] There are five Water Treatment Plant (IPA) units in five sub-districts in Bekasi city with a total production capacity of 1,065 liters/second or 109,728,000 liters/day. However, this is not sufficient to meet the needs of the community, which currently requires an estimated production capacity of 231,597,925 liters/day.
For healthcare, Bekasi has several hospitals with excellent service. In addition to the government-run Bekasi Regional General Hospital, there are also privately run hospitals, including Mitra Keluarga Hospital in West Bekasi, Mitra Keluarga Hospital in East Bekasi, Hermina Bekasi Maternity Hospital, Hermina Galaxi Maternity Hospital, Awal Bros Hospital, Ananda Hospital, Citra Harapan Hospital, Taman Harapan Baru Hospital, Jati Sampurna Hospital, and Anna Hospital.
As an urban residential area, Bekasi City has many shopping centers, including traditional markets, hypermarkets, and luxury malls. Some of the shopping centers in Bekasi City include:
Bekasi City has toll access through the Toll Gates (GT), Pondok Gede GT, West Bekasi GT, East Bekasi GT, Tambun GT, Jatiasih GT, Jati Warna GT, Kalimalang GT, Bintara GT.
There are several places of worship in Bekasi City, namely the Al-Barkah Grand Mosque Bekasi, Nurul Islam Mosque "Islamic Center" Bekasi, Al Azhar Jakapermai Mosque, Al Azhar Summarecon Bekasi Mosque, Al-Mahdi Mosque, Nurul A'la Mosque, Tridharma Buddha Dharma Temple (Old Market), Cetiya Buddha Jayanti (Harapan Indah City), St. Arnoldus Church (East Bekasi), St. Michael Church (West Bekasi), St. Bartholomeus Church (South Bekasi), St. Clara Church (North Bekasi).
It's difficult to define Bekasi's arts scene because its residents are a mix of Sundanese, West Javanese, and Betawi cultures. Unlike Bekasi Regency, where the majority of the population is Sundanese, most Bekasi residents today hail from Jakarta.
The Bekasi language is truly unique. If you pay attention, natives or those who have lived there for a long time will often speak Sundanese, or sometimes just their accent. With this Sundanese authenticity, Bekasi, a predominantly urban city, has been influenced by Betawi culture, which has easily infiltrated and influenced social values, including language. Often, Bekasi residents are Sundanese by their accent and tone. However, their diction and choice of words tend to lean more toward Betawi. Therefore, it can be concluded that Bekasi language is a mix of Betawi and Sundanese, making it even more interesting and unique.
In reality, Bekasi City's arts are more closely related to Jakarta's traditional arts. This is due to the Betawi culture, where Bekasi residents remain closely associated with Betawi culture. Since the time of the Pasundan Kingdom, several indigenous regional arts have emerged, such as the Topeng Dance and Ujungan.
The Topeng dance, commonly known simply as Topeng, is a traditional Bekasi art form that still exists and has many fans, similar to gambus music. This Bekasi mask dance is typically performed to enliven wedding ceremonies, circumcisions, and khaulan (traditional ceremonies), but it can also be performed at formal events such as welcoming guests, art performances, and election campaigns. Although called a mask dance, this art form is not only dance-based but also features comedy, usually involving stories from the lives of the lower classes. The mask dance is usually accompanied by several traditional musical instruments such as drums, rebab (bab), gongs, kenong tiga (three-way drum), and kecrek (two-way drum).
Ujungan is a form of striking the calves and shins using palm lull. The Ujungan performer then jumps up and down in a playful manner. To avoid hitting the audience, the arena is set aside. Since its inception, Ujungan has been a favorite among the residents of Bekasi.
Bekasi has also been a source of inspiration for artists, appearing in Chairil Anwar's poem "Krawang-Bekasi" and Pramoedya Ananta Toer's novels, "Kranji-Bekasi Jatuh" (1947) and "Di Tepi Kali Bekasi" (1951). These works were born during the Indonesian independence revolution.
Bekasi city's sports activities are under the auspices of the Bekasi City Sports Committee (KONI), and it offers 42 sports. The city is also home to the Persipasi Bekasi football team.
Like other regions in Indonesia, Bekasi residents are known for several traditional foods often served at special events or holidays, such as dodol. This dish is made from glutinous rice flour mixed with brown sugar and coconut.
Bekasi culinary items that are still in the wet cake category include Jalabia, Cucur, Bugis Cake, Bika Ambon, Pepe Cake, Putu Mayang, Talam, Banana Cake, Lopis, Ring Cake, Geplak, Onde-onde, Gemblong, and egg crust.
In addition to wet cakes, there are several original Bekasi snacks that are included in the dry cake category, and usually color the cakes provided for guests who come to visit or for big events such as weddings and circumcisions, including Coconut Root Cake, Rengginang, Wajik Cake, Sagon, Satu Cake, parocot, Money Cake and Brangas Cake.
Meanwhile, a very well-known food or culinary dish in Bekasi is the typical vegetable soup (sayur asem), which has a slightly sour taste compared to other types of vegetable soup in other regions. This dish is delicious when served at lunchtime. Another unique vegetable dish is sayur ikan gabus (snakehead fish soup) or sayur pucung (pucung vegetable). This dish seems to be unique to Bekasi. As is known, Bekasi used to consist of swamps containing snakehead fish. The snakehead fish soup is usually cooked with pucung or kluwek (black kluwek) which has a distinctive aroma and flavor. Besides sayur asem and sayur ikan gabus, there is another culinary dish that is quite famous in Bekasi: Soto Betawi Asli Beef. While in Jakarta, soto betawi is mixed with offal, in Bekasi, it contains no offal; it consists only of beef, fried potatoes, crackers, sliced spring onions, and is served with coconut milk cooked with traditional spices such as shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, and pepper.
Source: Bekasi City Website, Wikipedia
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