The cultural acculturation in architecture of Karawang Chinatown, West Java

Abstract

Chinese architecture which is part of Indonesia’s history is an interesting topic, because each of Chinese architecture in Indonesia carries its own characteristics which are quite unique with suitable materials based on existing local conditions. The character of Chinese architecture in various places in Indonesia is the result of a combination of Chinese architectural characters mixed with local architecture which is part of Indonesian architecture and also plays a very large role in Indonesian architectural styles. One of the interesting Chinatown areas used as a study location is Karawang Chinatown, Karawang Regency, West Java. The purpose of this study is: 1) To get a picture of Karawang Chinatown which has a concept of Chinatown architecture; and 2) To know the cultural acculturation in the architecture Karawang Chinatown. This study uses a qualitative approach that is based on the naturalistic paradigm with an inductive method. The cultural acculturation between Chinese culture and local/colonial culture creates a unique architecture and a symbolic meaning, the character is a blend of Chinese architecture with local architecture that needs to be preserved.

Local characters of Chinese ethnic settlements in Chinatown area of Malang and Kembang Jepun area of Surabaya

“…This research used Shirvani's [8] eight physical elements in Urban Design Process such as land use, building form and massing, open space, circulation and parking, pedestrian ways, activity support, signage and preservation. These elements were used to identify the Chinese settlements condition in both locations (Kembang Jepun area of Surabaya and Chinatown area of Malang).…”

“…Referring to Laurens [6], there will always be a tight bonding between place and the communities' activity, leading us to find the place identity. Chinatown area is usually a densely populated area with the largest number of colonial buildings made by the Dutch or the Chinese community itself [8]. Both area of Chinatown had some touch of Dutch colonialism history, as the preserved buildings were mostly shown in European Dutch styled.…”

STUDY OF LAYOUT, CIRCULATION, AND ORNAMENTS IN TEMPLE BUILDING (Case Study: Satya Budhi Temple, Bandung)

“…According to Guo, in his research discussing protection at the Confucian Temple in Southern Shaanxi, the efforts that must be made entirely are implementing protection, rescue, rational use, and strengthening management policies [19]. Furthermore, according to Sudarwani, various building elements and components built on traditional Chinese architecture contain symbols that have special meanings and can tell the era's life [20]. Thus, the findings in this study can support the simple arguments and postulate that by maintaining the spatial layout, circulation flow, and also building ornaments both on the interior and exterior of the building, it is hoped that the revitalization of this temple building can still follow the provisions of type A cultural heritage rules, with without losing its artistic and cultural values.…”