Cirebon City

Cirebon City

Cirebon is city on the north coast of the Indonesian Island of Java. It is located in the Province of west java, approximately 297 Km east of Jakarta Its name is often said to be derived from the Sundanese word of  “Cai”     (or river) and “Rebon” (or “shrimp”). (Indeed the main production of the city is fishery including shrimps). The alternative Javanese derivation is from “Caruban”, meaning “mixture” a reverence to Cirebon’s complex mix of Javanese, Malay, Sundanese, Chinese, and Arabic cultural elements. While Indonesian from outside Cirebon pronounce the name CHEE-ray-bone, locals say Cher-BONE. A side from fhisery, its harbour the name, Tanjung Emas, on the Java Sea has been a major hub for timber from Borneo. A small landing site “Penggung” also serves the TNI-AU. The city lies on “Jalur Pantura” (Pantai Utara Jawa), a major road on the northen coast of Java that stretches from Anyer, passes though at Surabaya.
The city’s population is 223,776. As with other coastal cities in Indonesian, a large population of ethic Chinese has flocked into the city as result of         long-term Chinese immigration since the seventeenth century. Cirebon it self is known as “Grage” in Cirebon dialect of Javanese language, which came from the words “Negara Gede”, meaning “Great Kingdom”. Grage is terasi (shrimp Paste) in Cirebon language although surrounded by Sundanese-speaking are as in West Java, linguists have stated clearly that Cirebon (and the history cally related regional of serang city in Banten Province) are Javanese language areas. In addition, this is supported by the Cirebon people referringto themselves as  “Wong Jawa” (Javanese”). How ever, the Cirebon dialect is sufficiently different from the dominant south central Javanese dialect that is some times assumed to be non-Javanese by out siders see also Java language map. As a coastal city, Cirebon main industry is fishery. Its products include “terasi” (Shrimp Paste), Shrimp cracters and salted fish.
Cirebon is known for local food, such as “Nasi Lengko” (rice mixed with bean spouts, fried tofu and fermated soybean cake), “Nasi Jamblang” (rice of various side dishes), “Empal Gentong” (a kind of curry), “Tahu Gejrot” (fried tofu with red sugar topping ), “Tahu tek tek” (fried tofu topped with peanut sauce and mixed with vegetables) and “Ayam Panggang” (barbecue chicken). Another native food is “Docang” (rice cake with soup vegetable soup) food from Cirebon.
Cirebon is divided into five subsdistricts Harmajuki, Kejaksan, Kesambi, Lemah Wungkuk, and Pekalipan.
Variety of arts from Cirebon City such as Audiences, Jaipong Dance, Calung, Nayaga, Topeng, etc
Wali songo, especially Sunan Gunung Jati, is known to have influenced the city’s histori. Sunan Gunung Jati’s grage is location several kilometers out side  the city, in a district called Gunung Jati. There are two temples and a cave system built by two Chinese architects around the 1880s, decorated by Chinese and western porcelain.
Cirebon has four palace known as keratons such as Keraton Kesepuhan of Cirebon, Keraton Kanoman of Cirebon, Keraton Kacirebonan, Keraton Keprabonan.
The village “Trusmi”, about five kilometers out side of Cirebon, is famous for “batik” production The most well known Cirebon batik motif is “Mega Mendung” (Rain Cloud) that was used in the former Cirebon Kraton. This cloud motif shows Chinese influence. Plangon is a habitat of monkeys.