Siantar Kingdom

Before the Proclamation of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia, Pematangsiantar was a royal town. Pematangsiantar is domiciled on Pulau Holing, and the last independent king of this dynasty was a descendant of the Damanik clan, namely Tuan Sang Nawaluh Damanik who held power as king until 1907. Descendants of this king still hold ceremonial titles as 'Raja Siantar' which are recognized by the Simalungan people even today.

Around Pulau Holing then developed into a village where residents lived including the villages of Suhi Haluan, Siantar Bayu, Suhi Kahean, Pantoan, Suhi Bah Bosar, and Tomuan. These areas later became the legal areas of Pematangsiantar City, namely:

• Pulau Holing becomes Kampung Pematang
• Siantar Bayu becomes the Siantar city-center
• Suhi Kahean became Kampung Sipinggol-pinggol, Kampung Melayu, Martoba, Sukadame, and Bane.
• Suhi Bah Bosar became a Kampung Kristen, Karo, Tomuan, Pantoan, Toba and Marimbang.

Dutch and Japanese Colonial Era

Street scene in Pematangsiantar in the 1910s

North Sumatra was one of the last areas in Indonesia annexed by the Netherlands. After the Dutch entered North Sumatra, the Simalungun area became the Dutch territory, and in 1907 the independent reign of the kings ended. The Dutch controller, who was originally based in Commerce, was transferred to Pematangsiantar in 1907. Since then Pematangsiantar has developed into an area visited by many newcomers,Chinese, and Indian communities inhabit the Timbang Galung and Kampung Melayu area, with ethnic Javanese centered in Tanah Jawa.

In 1910 the Pematangsiantar City Preparatory Agency was established. On July 1, 1917, based on Stad Blad No. 285, Pematangsiantar was designated as a Gemeente (dutch-style administrative division) with its own autonomy. After January 1939 changes to the structure of the Gemeente Council were made under Stad Blad No. 717.

Aerial view of Siantar in 1938

The forces of Imperial Japan invaded and conquered the Dutch in Sumatra in 1942. In this Japanese era (1942-1945) the political structure was changed by the Japanese administration to Siantar State and the Council was abolished. Based on Law No. 22/1948, Gemente's status became the City of Simalungun Regency, the Mayor of the city was concurrently the Regent of Simalungun. This arrangement continued after independence until 1957.

Independence and Contemporary Era

After the Proclamation of Indonesian independence, Pematangsiantar again became an Autonomous Region. Based on Law No.1/1957 it was designated a Full City Praja, and with the issuance of Law No.18/1965 the status was changed to that of a City. With the issuance of Law no. 5/1974 'Concerning the Principles of Regional Government' the status was changed to Pematangsiantar Level II Regional City. This is the current status of the city.

Based on Government Regulation No. 35 of 1981, Pematangsiantar Level II Regional City was divided into four administrative districts {kecamatan) consisting of 29 urban villages (kelurahan) with an area of 12.48 km², as inaugurated by the Governor of North Sumatra on March 17, 1982. The number of districts in Pematangsiantar City is now eight districts consisting of a total of fifty-three urban villages (kelurahan).

Climate

Pematangsiantar has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round. The temperatures are slightly moderated by the city's elevation.

Administrative divisions

Siantar eight districts map

The city is divided administratively into eight districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census^[3] and 2020 Census,^[4] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022.^[1]

Ethnics, Languages and Religion

The Batak people, especially the Toba and Simalungun, are the major ethnic group in Pematangsiantar, alongside sizeable Javanese and Chinese communities. Other ethnicities include Minangkabau, Indian, Acehnese and others.

According to 2010 Indonesian census, the majority of Pematangsiantar's inhabitants are Christian with 51.25 percent and Muslim with 43.9 percent. Around 4.36 percent are Buddhist, and there are smaller numbers of Hindu and followers of Confucianism. There are numerous houses of worship across the city, including one of the largest operating Buddhist temples in Indonesia.

The major languages in Pematangsiantar are Indonesian and Batak, both languages are lingua franca that are spoken among all ethnicities in the city. The Javanese community speak Javanese as a home language. Chinese Indonesians speak both Hokkien and Hainanese. Many Indians speak Tamil, and other ethnicities also have their own languages.

• 
  HKBP Pematangsiantar Resort Church, the largest Christian church in the city
• 
  Pematangsiantar Grand Mosque, the main mosque in the city
• 
  Saint Joseph's Cathedral, the primary Catholic Church in Pematangsiantar.
• 
  Vihara Avalokitesvara Buddhist temple, has the largest Guanyin statue in Indonesia

Landmarks and Tourism

Siantar Zoo

Guanyin statue in Avalokitesvara Buddhist temple in Bah Bolon, Pematangsiantar, it is the tallest Guanyin statue in Indonesia

Pematangsiantar is famous for its Batak culture, 'Batik' and 'Ulos' fabric, Batak foods, and well-appointed zoo called Taman Hewan Pematangsiantar - (Pematangsiantar Animal Park - Kebun Binatang Pemetangsiantar in Indonesian), with an extensive collection of Indonesian native animals, most notably birds, tigers and apes. The zoo itself boasts abundant tropical trees and plants, some of which are very old. The location is close to the centre of the city (within walking distance).

Another place of interest in the city is Vihara Avalokitesvara - a Buddhist Temple housing the Statue of Kwan Im. At 22.8 meter high, is the tallest statue of its kind in Indonesia. The temple complex is accessible from Jl. Pane, and is part of a new temple complex. Adjacent to the new complex and connected by a bridge across the Bah Bolon river, the old temple building was burned completely in a fierce blaze in May, 2008.

Other landmarks and tourism spots are :

• Siantar Waterpark
• Siantar Becak statue
• Horas Market
• Simalungun Museum
• Zoologi Museum
• Siantar Botanic Park

Cuisine

Most of Pematangsiantar's food styles are inherited from Batak traditional food. Foods such as saksang (pork cooked in its own blood) and roasted pork, or drinks like tuak (an alcoholic beverage made from sugar palm and sometimes from coconut) prepared by the Batak people are very popular. Halal food is easy to find, with many nasi padang, satay, and bakso sellers scattered everywhere across Pematangsiantar.

Roti Ganda is the most famous souvenir food from Pematangsiantar, a plain pillow bread spread with Kaya or Serikaya. Other variants of Roti Ganda include pandan leaf jam, chocolate and cheese. Bakmi Siantar and Kok Tong Kopitiam coffee are another famous cuisine items among the Siantar Chinese community.