Cirebon, West Java

What do you think about Cirebon? The ethnic and culture? The culinary? Or religious tourism? So, which one do you know about Cirebon? I think, everyone want to know about Cirebon more than it, Cirebon is big city with uniqueness.

People are confused and ask, what is the original ethnic of Cirebon society? Sundanese or Javanese? Why they are can speak Sundanese and Javanese language? Cirebon society is Cirebon ethnic, and Cirebon ethnic isn't Sundanese or Javanese ethnic. Cirebon’s society are can speak Sundanese and Javanese language because the location in the middle between West Java and Central Java.

Cirebon has a lot of unique culinary, those are empal gentong that cooked in 'gentong', jamblang's rice wrapped by jati's leaves, wedi's crackers fried by sand (in Cirebon the meaning of wedi is sand), and tofu gejrot added sauce from bottle and made sound 'gejrot gejrot' so the name is tofu gejrot.

In Cirebon, we can find religious tourism at many places, like Sunan Gunung Jati, Keraton Kanoman, Keraton Kacirebonan, and Keraton Kasepuhan. At those places there are cultural event every certain month.

Every Rabiul Awal Month, there is muludan/maulid's event, usually we call it as 'panjang jimat', it is washes all Keraton's heirlooms and parading around the city at midnight. And every month of Syawal there is an event we call it 'Kunjung Buyut' in Sunan Gunung Jati grave, the activity is praying together for ancestors.

Besides, there is the most unique place, that is Sunyaragi' cave, this cave made by coral reefs but on the land and so far from sea. There is myth here about one of statue in cave, it is Perawan Sunti's statue. The myth, a woman who is unmarried touch the statue, she will be single forever.

Cirebon has batik, it is Mega Mendung and has Kampung Batik in Trusmi Village.

Writer: Rati