024.ビンタン島 01.タンジュン・ピナン 024.Pulau Bintan 01.Tanjun Pinang (Indonesia)
シンガポールから船で１時間、ビンタン島と言えば、リゾートが人気ですが、そこは、島の北海岸にある現地住民立入禁止区域。内外のガイドブックが紹介するのは、リゾートがほとんどですが、残り大半にも、抜け落ちているのが不思議なぐらい見所があります。ただし、ちょっと通好み。
Pulau Bintang (Bintan Island) is one hour by boat from Singapore. It is popular as a resort island, but it is a restricted area for local residents on the island's north coast. Most guidebooks highlight resorts, but the rest of the island also has the places preferred by expert travelers.
See the residential district on the hill.
島いちばんの町タンジュン・ピナンは、人口20万。拡大する人口に、海沿いの平地だけでは追い付かず、回りの丘が開発されたのではないかと思えるぐらい、上り下りの相当激しい地形。
斜面には、時々、両側通行可能な道が走り、その上下を細い街路が結びます。階段が少なく、かなりの高低差でも、坂が結ぶのは、何とかすれば、小型車やバイクで乗り付けられるという生活の知恵でしょうか。
第３世界の斜面住宅地＝スラムを想像していましたが、実際は、日本人の感覚からすれば、良好な中産階級の住宅地。きちんとつくられ、手入れのされた庭のある家の多いことも、住宅地の質に貢献しています。丘の上り口には、大きな園芸ショップがあったから、ガーデニングを楽しむ余裕のある層が、かなり育っているようです。でも、いちばんの魅力は、穏やかな空気。窓に格子をはめた家があまりないのは、犯罪が少なく、コミュニティーがきちんとしている印。住民も、他所者に警戒心を見せず、威嚇もせず、あくまでも優しげ。道や軒先のベンチには人が集まり、路上では、子供が元気にサッカー、町は温かい気配に満ちています。子供の頃の日本の住宅地の風景を思い出しました。インドネシア社会は、思ったより底堅いようでした。
そんなタンジュン・ピナンの街を探索していたときのこと。港近くの下町の一郭に入ると、突然、街並の雰囲気が変わりました。違う時間に迷い込んだ感じです。陸から海に切り替わるあたりで、建て込んだ建物の間から、ゴミだらけのぬかるみに立つ杭が、時々見えます。
ほとんどが木造２階建てで、軒の両端に取り付けられた、うだつのような袖壁が、街並の違いを決定しています。外壁は、トタンやアルミ板もありますが、古ぼけた家の多くは、横張りの板壁に板張りの棧戸という組合せ。そして、店番をする人の顔。中国系移民の居住地でした。
都市化の波にあらがうように、この一郭だけ、祖先の出身地、中国南部の住居を、今も踏襲していますが、海外のチャイナタウンで見掛ける、近代建築に中国様式の装飾が融合した、洗練されたタウンハウスへの発展もありません。
地盤のため建て替えしにくい現実的理由もあるでしょうが、過去に、過酷な中国人排斥運動が何度も繰り返されたインドネシアで、財力も乏しく、外からの圧力に対して脆い集団が、結束し、大都市の一郭にしがみつく拠り所として、アイデンティティーであるこの古い建築形式を生き残らせ、建築が、彼らを守る砦になっているように見えました。
古い形式が残るとは、さまざまな意味で疎外された場合がほとんど。寛容で穏やかに見えるタンジュン・ピナンのインドネシア人社会の中で、複雑な背景を持つ中国人コミュニティーが、自分たちの形式から自由になれる未来は、近いのだろうか。
Tanjung Pinang, the island's largest town, has a population of 200,000. The flat land along the coast was small to keep up with the expanding population. Therefore, the surrounding hills, which ups and downs were very steep, seemed to be developed.
Roads with two-way traffic sometimes ran along the slopes, and narrow streets connected them above and below. There were few stairs, and the slopes connected between considerable differences in height. That would be the wisdom of daily life that they can reach any spots on the hills not only by walk but also by small car or motorcycle.
I imaged that residential areas on the hill in the third world meant a slum. In reality, it was a favorable middle-class residential area in terms of a Japanese perspective. Most houses were well-built and had well-maintained gardens. A large gardening shop was at the foots of the hill, so people who could afford to enjoy gardening must had increased. The charm of the residential area was the calm atmosphere. The houses with latticed windows were very few. It showed low crime and a well-organized community. The residents neither showed caution to outsiders nor threatened them, but they were gentle to everyone. The neighbors gathered on the streets or benches under the eaves, and children played soccer on the roads. Kindness filled the community. It reminded me of the scenery of Japanese residential areas when I was a child. Indonesian society seemed to be steadier than I expected.
When exploring Downtown Tanjung Pinang, the atmosphere of a certain district suddenly changed. I felt like I got lost in another time. It was in the transition zone from land to sea, and piles stood in the mud.
Most were two-story wooden buildings, and the side walls attached to both ends of the eaves formed the difference from other districts. A few exterior walls made of corrugated galvanized iron or aluminum, but most older houses had a combination of clapboard walls and wooden batten doors. The residents who tended a store were Chinese. It was the place where Chinese immigrants settled.
As if to resist the waves of urbanization, this district still followed the style of residences in southern China, the birthplace of their ancestors. Their style didn't developed to a fusion of modern architecture and Chinese-style decorations that could be seen in Chinatowns overseas.
It may be difficult to rebuild due to the ground. However, in Indonesia, where harsh anti-Chinese movements have been repeated many times in the past, a group of people with limited financial resources and vulnerable to external pressure might have shown their unity by keeping on this old architectural form of identity. The architecture seemed to become a fortress to protect them at the edge of the metropolis.
Remaining old formats is sometimes a proof of alienation. In the seemingly tolerant and peaceful Indonesian society of Tanjung Pinang, the Chinese community with its complex background would be able to be free from its own forms someday?
丘の上の住宅街 / Residential district on the hill
Residential district on the hill : It would be Indonesian sense of color that made the joints of stones yellow?
Residential district on the hill : The joints of stones were red, and the fence and bedding were colorful.
Residential district on the hill : Boys were gathering on the street. The greenery also seemed to be well-maintained, and there were few areas full of weeds.
Residential district on the hill : Few girls gather or play outside. That would have something to do with Islam?
Residential district on the hill : All the children were cheerful and carefree.
Residential district on the hill : Children were playing soccer on the street. Many houses had louvered windows for good ventilation. Houses also had ventilation openings above the louver window for when the window was closed at night.
Residential district on the hill : The area under the eaves was used as an extension of the room. Lattices were fitted inside the casement window. All the residents were calm and kind.
Residential district on the hill : Housewives were having a meeting under the eaves facing the road. All windows are louver windows.
Residential district on the hill : Even steep slopes can be accessed by motorcycle by turning them into roads instead of stairs. In fact, motorcycles passed by many times.
Residential district on the hill : The alley passed under the eaves.
Residential district on the hill : See a general store located in a residential area.
Residential district on the hill : See a gardening shop located at the foot of a hilly residential district.
港周辺の商業地区 / Commercial district around the port
Commercial district around the port : Buildings were lined up with no gaps between each other.
Commercial district around the port : There were many two-story buildings in this area, with the upper floors used as residences. Most buildings were more rain-stained than houses in residential areas on hills. Those designs were different.
Commercial district around the port : Motorcycle taxis were waiting in front of stores for shoppers.
Commercial district around the port : See the storefront of a store that sells spices.
中国人街 / China town
China town : Buildings with wooden side walls under the eaves lined only one street.
China town : Some walls were covered with corrugated galvanized iron and the windows are louvered, but the old-fashioned parts of the clapboard walls and wooden batten doors still remained. Bicycle luggage trolleys were also in use.
China town : The building in the foreground was covered with aluminum sheets, giving it a modern look.
China town : This building maintained the wooden batten doors.
China town : The store owner and clerk looked after the store.
ご感想はこちらへ / Click here for your impressions
もっと詳しく → タンジュン・ピナンのランドスケープ（ビンタン島、インドネシア）
もっと詳しく → タンジュン・ピナンの中国人街（ビンタン島、インドネシア）
When you want to know more → Landscape of Tanjung Pinang (Tanjung Pinang, Pulau Bintan, Indonesia)
When you want to know more → China Town in Tanjung Pinang (Tanjung Pinang, Pulau Bintan, Indonesia)
参考文献 / reference
Wikipedia
写真の無断使用、転用はご遠慮下さい。/ Please do not use or upload our photos without permission.
