Bandung Review : Regions in Bandung : Their Unique Names (BETA VERSION)

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Regions in Bandung : Their Unique Names

The city of Bandung, with its total area of 16.767 hectares, consists of 26 regions, with already a product of expansion from the previous region. Region names mostly hold a certain meaning, especially related to the locals. In Bandung, many region names are very unique thus interesting for us to explore them. Know their pattern; then you might find it useful during your traveling time.

1. The “Ci-“ group
“Ci” is a Sundanese term for water. Most region are named with “Ci-“ because they are associated with the water characteristics or sometimes got pass thru by a river. For examples, take a look at Cimahi (which means enough water), Cikapundung (the name of Bandung’s small river), Cibiru (which means blue water), Cihideung (black water), Cipaganti (replacement water) and other “Ci-“s.

2. The “first name” group
The second group is the group of region who share the same first word. For instance, we have the term “babakan”, a Sundanese term for “new village”. The list of region includes Babakan Ciparay, Babakan Siliwangi, Babakan Ciamis, Babakan Asih, etc. Another example is the word “Mekar”; the list includes Mekar Asih, Mekar Wangi, Mekar Mulya, etc.

3. The “foreign” group
The third one is area which used a foreign language (many of them are Dutch language). These regions include Inhoftank (which means inside the tank courthouse) and Viaduct (meaning : a bridge above the street), while some old folks still use the street name like Landraad and Bragaweg, as those were the name during the Dutch occupation.

As an expanding city, of course we can expect Bandung to have new regions with new names as well. Some new names are already applied by the city, mostly were heroes or local legend names replacing the old name of Bandung’s major streets, like Ir. H. Djuanda for Dago, R.A.A. Wiranatakusumah for Cipaganti, K.H. Wahid Hasyim for Kopo, and many others. But, the unique names of regions in Bandung still hold a special place in everybody’s hearts as they make such unforgettable images of Parijs van Java itself. (FR/IF)