TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Visitors reportedly flocked to Kota Tua (Old Town) area, West Jakarta, on Sunday (1/1), the first day of 2023.

Until 12:00 om local time, the entire front yard of the Fatahillah museum was packed with people.

Some were seen taking selfies in front of the museum, and some others cycled around the area with their rented bikes.

Some of the tourists were also seen sitting on the concrete floor, wet from the rain pouring on Sunday morning. They sat while eating lunchboxes they brought from home.

In front of the Ceramics Museum, visitors can also be seen enjoying the new sidewalk on foot.

The sidewalk was the result of renovation from last year, officiated by the Governor Jakarta at the time, Anies Baswedan.

They also sat on the rocks forming a circle while gazing upon the Fatahillah museum courtyard which was flooded with people.

One of the visitors, Firmanudin, 56, admitted that he had planned to visit Kota Tua since last year.

"Indeed, it was planned to bring the family here. It is also Sunday," he said.

Firmanudin, who came with his two children and a wife, stated that they left from Bogor by train.

He visited the place to see the result of the revitalization.

"Last time, there was a lot of news that there was an inauguration of Kota Tua. We want to know what is new here. There is wide sidewalk," he said.

Firmanudin also admitted that he was happy with Kota Tua's new look.

He hopes that in the future the government will bring changes to Kota Tua to make it even more attractive.

Another visitor, Rahma Aryani, 26. also expressed her joy to be able to visit Kota Tua.

However, she and her friends complained of difficulty in finding food in Kota Tua courtyard.

"They sell drinks here, fritters are so far outside (the area). There are places to eat in the Post Office building, but they are expensive," she commented.

However, she thought that it was great; traders were not allowed to get in, because it was more orderly that way.

As of 01.30 pm, Kota Tua was still busy, and it was estimated that visitors would still come in until this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Kota Tua Regional Management Unit personnels had said that during this holiday period, some 15 thousand visitors came to Kota Tua in a day.

This figure was an increase compared to normal holidays, during which the figure were around 10,000 visitors.

The area has various museums like the Puppet Museum, the Textile Museum, and the Bank Mandiri Museum.

To ensure visitors' convenience, the officials have dispatched cleaning services and security officers.

"For cleanliness, we enforce cleaning every two hours from opening until it closes at 9 pm local time," Head of Kota Tua Regional Management Unit Dedy Tarmizi said.

However, his administration reminded the public to also maintain cleanliness because trashcans are placed in many locations.

Tarmizi noted that Jakarta Government has provided nearby parking facilities such as in Kota Intan, Park and Ride Stasiun Kota, and others, in order to support the policy of low-emission zone in that area.

ANTARA

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