Rebranding Chinatown Surabaya

Abstract

Chinatown as part of heritage areas in Surabaya has undergone several issues such as abandonement, deterioration, economic decline, and high-crime area. Cultural identity is brought up in order to help revive and improve the image of Surabaya which was renowned for centuries as an international city, a melting pot, where Chinese and other nations or tribes came to flourish and nurture the local culture and wisdom. Rebranding the Chinatown is essential and proposed as a way to regain economic, social, and cultural benefits. Experiential qualitative research was employed through focused group discussion with students who visited and interviewed with the locals, as themselves the current generation of Chinese Indonesian. Refurbishing old temples and other building structures for rendezvous and holding special occasions such as pre-wedding photoshoots, puppet shows, Chinese Indonesian food festivals, Chinese movies and dramas, books and comics festivals are among the results of discussions to feed and reintroduce the Chinese culture in the era of society 5.0. Further analysis shows that instagrammable settings and events are advantageous to the need of current generation in the era of industrial revolution 4.0 to highlight the assimilation of Chinese and Indonesian culture happening in Surabaya and distinguish the cultural identity of Chinese Surabayan.