Pematang Siantar

Pematangsiantar – Historic Damanik Capital

It's one of those cities that travelers often pass by on their way to other destinations while driving. In this case, people pass by the city of Pematangsiantar (often referred to as "Siantar" for brevity) in North Sumatra because it's on the way to the famous Lake Toba and a rest area for people headed to Central Tapanuli Regency. Like many such transit cities in Indonesia and around the world, it often has its own interesting sights, destinations, culture and history that gets overlooked.

Prior to Indonesian independence and Dutch colonialism, the city was an important administrative center for members of royalty from the Damanik clan of the Batak Simalungun ethnic group. These days, the city--which today occupies 79.97 square kilometers of territory and houses a population of 274,838 residents--is known for being a city with great secondary education facilities.

Those interested in exploring more of Pematangsiantar have plenty of destinations to choose from, including its 4.5-hectare Pematangsiantar Zoo (one of the oldest in the country) with nearly 200 species of flora and fauna. A popular local landmark is the Vihara Avalokitesvara, a temple housing a 22.8-meter-tall statue of the Bodhisattva Kwan Im. Simalungun Museum is the place to go to learn more about the Batak Simalungun peoples and their culture. Pematangsiantar is also well-known for its Batak cuisine, as well as its Roti Ganda bread snack that is popular as a food gift nationwide.

Unfortunately, Pematangsiantar hasn't fared the best in terms of its economy in recent years. Though it has steadily grown from 2021 to 2023, its growth numbers are below national average, with 1.25 percent growth in 2021, 3.47 percent growth in 2022, and 4.22 percent growth in 2023. Its Gross Domestic Regional Product (GRDP) at current prices in 2023 amounted to Rp 16.23 trillion, with the biggest contributing industry being the wholesale and retail trade industry (at Rp 4.37 trillion or 26.91 percent of all industries), followed by manufacturing (at Rp 3.13 trillion or 19.30 percent), and construction (at Rp 1.71 trillion or 10.58 percent).