Dutch expert assesses Banjarmasin extraordinary

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - A landscape historian from the Netherlands Prof. Theo Spek assessed the city of Banjarmasin, capital of South Kalimantan Province, extraordinary in the eyes of tourists.

"For people here Banjarmasin City is mediocre, but for tourists from the Netherlands and America, the existence of this city is extraordinary," said Theo Spek who was accompanied by Vera D Damayanti from IPB's Dept of Landscape Architecture in Banjarmasin on Saturday.

When discussing with the Mayor Ibnu Sina and 10 community leaders in Menara Pandang building here, Theo Spek from the Center for Landscape Studies of the University of Groningen Netherland assessed its remarkable is the local wisdom.

He, after two days in Banjarmasin and went to urban villages, considered this city very worthy of sale for tourists because of its uniqueness.

The uniqueness of Banjarmasin City, he said, should be maintained for the world of tourism. If forced to build a city with a modern system at least combined with its traditionality.

He suggested local government to popular it as widest as possible, create a website that can be accessed by the world. Then tourists in Europe or America can see firsthand the unique conditions through the internet. so it is easy to them what they want and where they go.

In a meeting hosted by the Head of Banjarmasin Development Planning Board (Bappeda), and involving the river cares community and some leaders, Ibnu Sina said Banjarmasin's power is on the river. Then the existence of the river and its uniqueness need to be maintained. "Modern must, but the traditional still must be preserved," he said.

IPB landscape architecture Vera Damayanti said, in a study of the city of a thousand rivers, it was known there was once a fortress at the mouth of the Martapura River. It functions as a guard post and exit entrance inspection of ships and collection of toll money.

"The existence of Han van Tol fortress around 1817 was reinforced by the discovery of the Dutch coin relics. In addition to the guardhouse and to collect the toll money, the fortress to avoid smuggling," said the researcher.