Setu Babakan Cultural Heritage

Setu Babakan Cultural Heritage

Setu Babakan in Srengseng Sawah, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, is a cultural tourism destination that is the center of Betawi cultural preservation. This place offers a unique experience to learn about Betawi history, art, and culinary specialties. Visitors can enjoy traditional art performances, handicrafts, various culinary specialties, and also enjoy the natural beauty of the lake or the setu, which functions to maintain the balance of the ecosystem.

This tourist village is located in Srengseng Sawah, Jagakarsa District, South Jakarta City, DKI Jakarta with a ticket price of only IDR 2,000 to IDR 5,000 and you can visit it with your family.

Come on, take a peek at the various things about the Kampung Betawi Setu Babakan Tourist Village here!

Well, some of the things that can be witnessed in this place include:

• Performance of traditional music, dance, and theater in the open theater area.
• Dance, music, batik, and traditional theater training for children and teenagers.
• Betawi Cultural Village tourist attractions and cultural processions (wedding ceremonies, circumcisions, aqiqah, completing the Quran, seven months, stepping on the ground, ngederes, and others).
• Betawi silat training.
• Home industry products in the form of souvenirs and Betawi food, snacks, and drinks.
• Betawi community activities such as farming, fishing, freshwater fish farming, and so on.

Cultural Tourism:

Visitors can see various traditional Betawi art performances such as music, dance, theater, and pencak silat played by native Betawi people. In addition, there are also Betawi handicrafts and typical Betawi foods such as kerak telor, fried bean sprouts, nasi uduk, and bir pletok.

Betawi traditional clothing

Dance performance at Babakan Betawi Village

Pencak Silat at the Setu Babakan tourist attraction in Jakarta

Pletok Beer in Setu Babakan, Betawi Spiced Drink

egg crust, a typical Betawi food

Agro Tourism:

This area has various types of Betawi fruit trees that may be rarely found, such as kecapi, starfruit, rambutan, and sapodilla.

Setu Babakan agro tourism

Agro Tourism is a form of tourism activity that utilizes agricultural businesses (agro) specifically for recreational purposes and enriching experiences. It can also provide business opportunities in the plantation sector, you know, Moms!

The location of the plantation in Kampung Betawi is also one of the attractions. The location of the plantation itself is not in a special area but is in the courtyard of the Setu Babakan Betawi Cultural Village and in the yards of residents' houses.

The types of trees that can be found are mango, melinjo, rambutan, guava, jengkol, Pete, jackfruit, cempedak, cashew, and many more.

Water Tourism:

Lake Mangga Bolong and Lake Babakan are water tourism attractions; visitors can enjoy water duck rides here.

Setu Babakan Water Tourism

Water tourism in the Betawi Setu Babakan area is quite interesting for tourists from the aspect of water sports. Water tourism that can be enjoyed is water bikes, canoeing, and fishing.

According to the official website, the management of the Betawi Setu Babakan Cultural area is still processing plans to improve water tourism facilities in this area, Mom.

It is hoped that in the future, this tourist spot will build water transportation facilities such as getek and small boats.

Betawi Museum:

This museum has a collection of original objects and replicas that were once used by the Betawi people, as well as paintings of Betawi figures.

Betawi Museum or Betawi Museum Setu Babakan is a museum located on Jl. RM Kahfi II, Srengseng Sawah, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta. This museum displays collections related to activities carried out by the Betawi Tribe. 

This museum was built for three years from 2012 to 2015, which was initially intended as a management unit for the Betawi Cultural Village area. On July 30, 2017, the museum was officially opened and opened for public visits during the 11th Betawi Lebaran. At the beginning of the opening, there was only one room available and exhibited loan collections from various museums such as the Fatahillah Museum, the Mohammad Hoesni Thamrin Building, the Textile Museum, the Wayang Museum, and the Maritime Museum. Then, in 2018, the exhibition space was expanded to two floors, with the 1st and 3rd floors of the building used as a museum, while the 2nd floor of the building was still used as an office. Eventually, the entire building from the 1st to 3rd floors was fully utilized as an exhibition space for the museum in 2020. On January 11, 2022, the Betawi Museum was officially registered and entered into the data compiled by the Directorate of Cultural Protection, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

Betawi Traditional Houses:

There are several Betawi traditional houses with various types; visitors can look around and take pictures here.

Betawi traditional houses are not only a symbol of the Betawi people's distinctive architecture, but also a reflection of the life and philosophy of the Betawi people. 

Betawi traditional houses in Setu Babakan have several types, such as the Kebaya House, the Gudang House, and the Joglo House, each of which has its own characteristics and uniqueness. The Kebaya House, for example, is named so because the shape of its roof resembles the folds of a traditional kebaya, with a layered saddle roof shape. In addition to being functional, this roof shape also has a symbolic meaning as a sign of the homeowner's openness to guests. 

One of the interesting elements of the Betawi traditional house is its design, which prioritizes openness and social interaction. This can be seen from the spacious terrace or pavilion at the front of the house, which is usually used to relax or receive guests. The philosophy of togetherness and mutual cooperation is strongly reflected in this architecture, where the house becomes a place to establish relationships between neighbors.

The building materials used to build this traditional house are mostly made from natural materials such as wood and bamboo, which make the house feel cool amid Jakarta's tropical climate. The design of the house also pays attention to air circulation, thus providing comfort for its occupants even without the help of modern technology. 

In addition, the Betawi traditional house in Setu Babakan is often decorated with distinctive ornaments, such as wood carvings with flora and fauna motifs, which symbolize the relationship between the Betawi people and their natural surroundings. Bright colors, such as red, green, and yellow, usually dominate the paint on the walls of the house, reflecting the cheerfulness and enthusiasm for life of the Betawi people. 

Visiting a traditional house in Setu Babakan is not just about witnessing the beauty of traditional architecture but also exploring the cultural values ​​that continue to be inherited by the Betawi people. With a simple but meaningful building, this traditional house is a symbol of identity and pride that continues to be maintained amidst the rapid flow of modernization.