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Ready for a Singkawang Heritage Walk? Explore old Chinese mansions, colorful temples, and centuries of history in Indonesia’s “City of a Thousand Temples.”
Singkawang doesn’t really announce itself. You just start noticing things. A shophouse door left open long enough for you to see a family altar inside. A temple roof peeking out between rooftops, curved and gold-trimmed like it’s showing off a little. Then the smell of something fried and savory pulls you two steps sideways before you even realize you’ve moved.
Welcome to Singkawang, a small coastal city in West Kalimantan that punches way above its weight when it comes to history. A Singkawang Heritage Walk isn’t just a stroll through old buildings. It’s a walk through three centuries of gold rushes, migration, temple bells, and a surprisingly good multicultural friendship between Chinese, Malay, and Dayak communities.
If you’ve ever wanted a history lesson that doesn’t feel like homework, this is it. Let’s wander through Singkawang’s old town together, one dusty, dragon-carved rooftop at a time.
A Quick Rewind: The History Behind Singkawang Old Town
Long before Singkawang became Instagram-famous for its temples, it was just a swampy river mouth attracting a very specific type of visitor: gold hunters.
Around 1760, Hakka Chinese immigrants started arriving on the coast, lured by rumors of gold inland near what’s now Monterado. The Sultan of Sambas, who ruled the area, actually recruited these Chinese miners on purpose. Dayak communities were skilled at many things, but apparently gold mining wasn’t quite their specialty, so the sultan brought in people who were. Naturally, he also wanted a cut of the profits, which led to a long tug-of-war between local rulers and increasingly independent Chinese mining communities.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, this small transit point transformed into a bustling trading post. As the gold rush eventually slowed, many miners decided to stay, turning to agriculture and commerce. Generation after generation, these communities built shrines and temples to ensure safe passage and good fortune, eventually earning the city its iconic nickname: the “City of a Thousand Temples.”
Then came the Dutch. By the mid-19th century, colonial authority had crept into the region, and Dutch-style administrative buildings started popping up next to Chinese shophouses and clan houses. It’s this layering, gold rush settlements, Chinese clan architecture, Dutch colonial touches, and Islamic landmarks, that gives a Singkawang Heritage Walk its unique flavor today. Nowhere else in Indonesia quite looks or feels like this.
Fast forward to October 17, 2001, when Singkawang officially gained autonomous city status, separating from Bengkayang Regency. This milestone gave local authorities more freedom to invest in tourism and heritage preservation—and it paid off. The city has since been repeatedly named Indonesia’s most tolerant city by the SETARA Institute, which honestly feels like the perfect reward for a place built on centuries of different cultures figuring out how to live side by side.
Buildings That Whisper (and Sometimes Shout) Their Stories
A good Singkawang Heritage Walk isn’t just about looking at old buildings. It’s about knowing why they’re still standing.
Rumah Marga Tjhia (The Tjhia Family House)
This one might be the star of the show. Built by Tjhia Siu Si, a Fujianese immigrant who did well for himself in agriculture and shipping, the compound sits on land granted by the Dutch government along the Singkawang River. It’s less a single house and more a family kingdom: two central buildings once served as a trading office and reception hall, while living quarters wrap around them in a U-shape, connected by gardens and covered walkways.
Here’s the sweet part. Tjhia Siu Si had seven sons, and he left each of them “two doors” of the compound. Generations later, descendants still live there, and the family even set up a foundation just to keep the old ironwood structure from falling apart.
While official heritage signs date the completed complex to 1902, earlier structures already appeared on a Dutch military map dated 1887, meaning these walls have clearly been standing through a lot of monsoon seasons. Today, part of the compound also serves as a small restaurant selling choi pan, so you can literally eat history while looking at it.
Vihara Tri Dharma Bumi Raya
Founded in the 19th century, this temple is considered one of the oldest in the city and functions as both a religious and social hub for the Chinese-Indonesian community. Curved rooftops, dragon motifs, and clouds of incense make it an easy photo stop, but it’s also very much a living space. During Cap Go Meh, it becomes one of the busiest and most decorated spots in the entire city, draped in red lanterns and packed with worshippers.
Pasar Hongkong
Yes, it’s actually called “Hong Kong Market,” and no, you haven’t accidentally teleported to China. Locals gave it the nickname because the crowd, the buzz, and the rows of Chinese-run stalls made it feel just like the real thing back in the day. Operating since the early 20th century, this market has stayed remarkably loyal to its old-school roots.
Walk through and you’ll notice the shophouse-style buildings still standing shoulder to shoulder, their weathered facades and narrow frontages barely touched since the market’s early years. Traders here have historically come from Chinese, Malay, and Dayak backgrounds alike, all haggling side by side over bakmi, kwetiau, choi pan, and fish balls once the sun starts going down. Pasar Hongkong really wakes up in the evening, when lanterns flicker on and the whole street turns into an open-air feast. Sitting just a short walk from both Rumah Marga Tjhia and Vihara Tri Dharma Bumi Raya, it’s less a pit stop and more the beating heart connecting every other spot on your Singkawang Heritage Walk.
What You Can Actually Do on a Singkawang Heritage Walk
Beyond staring at pretty rooftops, here’s what fills up a proper heritage day in Singkawang:
- Wander the old town alleys. The best finds are rarely on the main road. Duck into a side street and you might stumble on a century-old shophouse still run by the same family.
- Try choi pan and other Hakka snacks. Choi pan, a steamed or fried vegetable dumpling, is basically Singkawang’s edible mascot. Grab one from a street vendor near Rumah Marga Tjhia.
- Watch Cap Go Meh, if your timing is right. Held on the 15th day of Chinese New Year, this festival features tatung, trance-possessed mediums who walk on blades and pierce themselves without apparent injury.
- Chat with locals. Bahasa Indonesia is widely spoken even among elders who grew up speaking Hakka or Teochew at home, so a few basic Indonesian phrases go a long way.
Best Time for Your Singkawang Heritage Walk
If you want the full spectacle, plan your trip around Chinese New Year and Cap Go Meh, usually falling in late January to February. For 2027 specifically, Chinese New Year lands on Saturday, February 6, and Cap Go Meh, the 15th and final night of the celebration, falls two weeks later on Saturday, February 20, 2027. Mark that date if you want to catch the tatung parade and the sea of red lanterns in full swing. Prefer things quieter? Any dry-season weekday morning works beautifully, when the streets are calm enough to actually hear the temple bells.
Tips for a Smooth Singkawang Heritage Walk
- Wear comfortable shoes. The old town is best explored on foot, and the streets are more charming than paved.
- Bring water and sun protection. West Kalimantan humidity does not play around.
- Dress modestly when entering temples or the mosque, and remove your shoes where required.
- Learn a handful of Indonesian greetings before you go. Locals genuinely appreciate the effort, and it opens up far better conversations than pointing and smiling.
- Consider a local guide for your first walk. They’ll know which unmarked doorway leads to the best-kept secret in town
A Singkawang Heritage Walk is proof that history doesn’t have to live only in museums. Here, it lives in family compounds still occupied by descendants, in temple courtyards still filled with worshippers, and in mosque domes standing calmly beside dragon-roofed shrines. Walk slow, eat the choi pan, and let three centuries of migration and tolerance tell their own story block by block.
And speaking of learning a new place through its language, if wandering around Singkawang left you wishing you could actually understand the conversations happening around you, that’s exactly where BASANTARA comes in. We’re an Indonesian language institute that helps foreigners go from confused tourist to confident conversationalist, whether you’re planning your next heritage walk, moving to Indonesia, or just want to impress the vendor selling your choi pan in fluent Bahasa Indonesia.
Reach out to us on WhatsApp at +62 852 1396 8601 or visit basantara.net to start learning Indonesian with a team that actually knows the culture behind the language.
