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The settlement of the China community in the
area face to the Deli River and also overlooks the
main street. In the 19
th
century to the early 20
th
century the area had a port and the commercial
center who trade centers who crowded visitors from
various locations.
In the same time, there are two China’s
worship houses. Vihara Siu San Keng which is
located at the entrance of Jl. Syahbudin Yatim and
Liat Sim Kong inside of the area. The access to the
vihara from Jl. Syahbudin Yatim. Liat Sim Kong
first was built in 1872, subsequently followed by Siu
San Keng, built in 1890.
3 THE EXISTENCE OF SOCIAL
LIFE OF CHINA COMMUNITY
BEFORE 1965
The settlement of Pekan Labuhan at the end of the
18
th
century up to the beginning of the 19
th
century
was dominated by the China community. The
civilization of this settlement has been formed since
the beginning development process of Pekan
Labuhan. Social lifes, trading activities on the row
of shophouses, religious activities in both viharas,
public spaces and economic activities on the dock of
China’s fishermen called Toamang dock are
coloring everyday life of this area.
Everyday life activities of the China
community were divided into two zoning. Early to
the middle zone of Jl Syahbudin Yatim was
dominated by commercial and religious activities.
While the central zone until the end of this main
street was dominated by social life, on public spaces,
such as China’s wine market, China’s coffee shop,
entertainment stage and movie theater.
The social life of China community exists on
the Vihara Siu San Keng and Liat Sim Kong, they
are always crowded by the presence of religious
activities of China communities. In a row of
shophouses, China families sold goods, daily
necessities, gold shops, wholesalers, restaurants and
photo studio. Meanwhile around Toamang dock,
from the afternoon to the evening, there are many
China who recently finished their activities drank
China’s wine on the wine market. The crowd
scattered took place from wine market to the main
street. On this street there were three coffee shops
located nearby. Also behind the wine market
complex there were public space in the form of stage
entertainment. In the same place with it there were
also Mutiara Movie Theatre building. The
atmosphere of everyday life of China community
were able to revived the social life area Pekan
Labuhan in a long time.
4 THE EXISTENCE OF SOCIAL
LIFE OF CHINA COMMUNITY
AFTER 1965 UNTIL NOW
In 1965 the political incident disrupted Pekan
Labuhan. At the time the issue of the Communist
Party of Indonesia grew in some areas of Medan.
The Communist Party are considered by
Government Indonesia as rebel groups so that the
state ordered the group must be destroyed. The
China community in Pekan Labuhan was regarded
as pro-communist group so that indigenous youth
gangs in the area did criminalization to them.
Everyday life of the area was confused as a
consequence of that disruption. Due to the
criminalization, many of China people was slain.
The criminalization in 1965 destroyed the social life
of China communities and also destroyed; China
shophouses and houses, wine market, Toamang dock
and coffee shops. The atmosphere of everyday life in
the area was deserted, half of them survived from
criminalization and begun a new life outside the
area. Since that time their populations becomes
minority. The function of the buildings and the space
in the area changes. On the North part of the area
then are filled with the Malay houses. Then the
activity on stage entertainment complex and movie
theater increasingly lose out. In 1970-80s this area
was dismantled and replaced with the residential of
Departement of transportation office.
The incident of political divisions happened
again in 1998. At that time the State of Indonesia
was through reform phase. The conflict between
indigenous and non-indigenous occurred again in
Labuhan. These incidents threaten the existence of
China business and their trade. Community groups,
youth gangs and indigenous people in the area
provoked to reject China's presence in their
neighborhoods. They did loot to the entire China
community-owned shophouses in area Pekan
Labuhan.
The looted process of these items made China
be fear and traumatic. While time they took refuge
in the vihara buildings to save themselves by
carrying important files. The incident made the
China community were afraid to live in the area
Pekan Labuhan. They assumed that it was not safe
anymore to stay afloat in the area.
ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramification Researches
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