Padang

Padang – Historic Minangkabau port city

Few places in the Indonesian archipelago have as much of a rich concentration of history, culture and sights nestled within its borders as West Sumatra's provincial capital of Padang. After all, the city is the cultural center of the province's native Minangkabau peoples that makes up the majority ethnic group there. Within Padang’s vast 694.96 square kilometer limits, one can find traces of history dating back to the 16h century. The city today, with 942,938 citizens as of 2023, continues with its legacy of importance, being a major center for higher education outside of Java and a place where arts and culture festivals are a regular occurrence that draws in local and international crowds.

What better way to begin your immersion into Padang's local history than a visit to its old town? Though somewhat run down due to a lack of care, the place is filled with heritage buildings dotted alongside the nearby river and has a harbor area built with Dutch architecture. Delve deeper into local history (especially Minangkabau-related history) with a visit to the Adityawarman Museum. Unwind at one of the many local beaches, like Air Manis or Nirwana Padang. Take quick trips to nearby islands like Pasumpahan or Sirandah. Be sure to enjoy the city's famous spicy cuisine, especially the popular Beef Rendang dish.

A city this historic, large and popular also naturally enjoys a robust economy. Its growth in recent years peaked at 5.68 percent in 2019. Like the rest of the country, the pandemic hit it hard, with growth going as low as 1.86 percent in 2020. It soon rebounded though, with growth of 3.65 percent in 2021, 4.31 percent in 2022 and 4.54 percent in 2023. Its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) at current prices in 2023 was Rp 79.70 trillion, with the biggest contributing industries being wholesale and retail (at Rp 13.87 trillion or 17.41 percent), transportation and storage (at Rp 12.82 trillion or 16.09 percent) and manufacturing (at Rp 8.66 trillion or 10.88 percent).