indonesian Legend

kemaro Island

In the past, in the Kingdom of Srivijaya there was a beautiful and kind princess named Siti Fatimah. Her beauty and kindness were heard everywhere. No young man dared to come to propose to the Princess, because the King wanted his daughter to marry a male descendant of the king.

Once upon a time, there came a young man named Tan Bun Ann. The young man came from the kingdom in China to trade in the Kingdom of Srivijaya. la then faced the King.

"Open King, the arrival of servants here is to trade. For that, I ask you to give permission to your servant to stay and trade in this kingdom" Tan Bun Ann said.

The king gave Tan Bun Ann permission on condition that the young man should give some of his profits to the kingdom. Tan Bun Ann also agreed to the terms given by the King.

The young people from the kingdom in China began to trade and live in the Kingdom of Srivijaya. On a regular basis, he came to the Srivijaya Kingdom to deposit some of his trading profits to the kingdom. One time, he met Princess Siti Fatimah, then Tan Bun Ann fell in love.

Apparently, Siti Fatimah also has the same feelings as Tan Bun Ann. Then they established a loving relationship. Then, Tan Bun Ann went to the King for blessing.

"Paduka, the arrival of the servant is facing, because the servant wants to express the desire to invite Princess Siti Fatimah to be the wife of the servant" Tan Bun Ann said.

King Srivijaya thought for a moment. He knew that Tan Bun Ann was the crown prince of a large kingdom in China, therefore he did not mind his daughter marrying the young man.

"Young man, I know you're a good young man. I don't mind my daughter marrying you. However, you must provide nine jars of gold."

Tan Bun Ann agreed to the terms put forward by the King and contacted his parents in China. Tan Bun Ann's parents gave their blessing. But unfortunately, Tan Bun Ann's parents could not attend his son's wedding with Princess Siti Fatimah. Then, they sent a royal envoy to deliver nine jars of gold to the Kingdom of Srivijaya.

The Chinese Royal Envoy immediately departed for the Srivijaya Kingdom with jars filled with gold on board. To protect the gold from pirates, at the top of the jars was placed mustard vegetables, so that the jars seemed to contain full of mustard vegetables.

Arriving at the Port of Srivijaya, Tan Bun Ann welcomed the messenger from his parents to take the gold they were carrying.

Tan Bun Ann got into the ship, he found nine urns filled with mustard vegetables that had rotted.

"Oh, no! Why is it only mustard vegetables that have rotted? I'll be ashamed of my future in-laws!" thought Tan Bun Ann panicked. He then threw the jars one by one into the Musi River. When about to throw the last jar his foot tripped. The jar he held spilled, and gold came out of the jar. Only then did Tan Bun Ann realize that she had misunderstood.

Then, the young man jumped into the river with several bodyguards to search back for the jars he had thrown away.

Siti Fatimah, who had witnessed the incident, ran to the river and waited for her husband's colon to emerge from the Musi River. However, by late afternoon Tan Bun Ann and his men did not return.

The beautiful princess and some of her ladies intend to find her future husband, they then jump into the Musi River. Before jumping, the Princess advised her ladies who stayed.

"If later you see a pile of earth appearing on the surface of the river, it is my grave," said Princess Siti Fatimah and then plunged into the river.

No one came back to the surface. A few days later, on the banks of the Musi River appeared a pile of earth resembling a mound. The more days, the mound of land is getting wider, to become an island.

The local people named the island Kamaro Island which means Drought. The name was chosen, because the condition of the island is never inundated even though the water level in the Musi River is increasing.

On the island there is a fairly large mound of land and is believed to be the tomb of Princess Siti Fatimah. In addition, there are two smaller mounds of land, the community believes that the two mounds are the tombs of ladies and gentlemen Siti Fatimah who turned out to join the sea following the Princess.

Now, Kernaro Island is one of the cultural attractions in Palembang. Every stamp gomeh celebration, many citizens of Chinese descent, both from within and outside the country visit there to pray and make pilgrimages.