South Kalimantan Floating Market

Helloindonesia.id – South KALIMANTAN is blessed with beautiful rivers that connect one region to another. The existence of these rivers affects the activities of its inhabitants. One of them with the emergence of many traditional markets on the river known as the floating market.

In South Kalimantan, there are still two floating markets that have been going on for hundreds of years, namely the Muara Kuin Floating Market in Banjarmasin and the Lok Baintan Floating Market in Martapura.

The two floating markets have become one of the attractions that many people are interested in. You can see buying and selling activities on the river by using a unique and distinctive jukung (boat). The boats jostled against each other; looking for buyers and sellers who are always milling about. Most of the traders are women. They usually wear tanggui or broad hats made of sago palm leaves. Interestingly, in this floating market there is still a barter system or bapanduk in Banjarese.

The existence of the Muara Kuin Floating Market is closely related to the establishment of the Banjar Kingdom, it may even have appeared long before. In the mid-16th century, Sultan Suriansyah established a kingdom on the banks of the Kuin and Barito rivers which became the forerunner of the city of Banjarmasin. Trading activities on the banks of the river also grew rapidly. Given its position at the confluence of several tributaries, the market developed naturally. In addition to the Kuin, the traders also came from the Tamban, Anjir, Alalak, and Berangas areas.

According to J.J. Rizal et al in Uncovering Indonesian Traditional Markets, the political economy of the Banjar Kingdom also played a role in the development of the floating market. Trading activities also expanded and involved traders from Java, Gujarat, and China.

“The existence of the tomb of the King of Banjar in the Tomb area of ​​Sultan Suriansyah, North Kuin, which is adjacent to the Muara Kuin floating market is also considered as evidence of the relationship between this market and the Kingdom of Banjar,” said J.J. Rizal et al.

When the capital of the Banjar Kingdom moved to Martapura, community trading activities developed rapidly on the Martapura River. Because of its location on one of the tributaries of the Martapura River called Lok Baintan, this floatin

According to information from the website of the Banjarmasin City Government’s Communication, Informatics and Statistics Agency, if previously the market was located in the Alalak ferry dock area, now the location is a little easier to reach, namely in front of the Sultan Suriansyah’s Tomb. The name was changed to Kuin Alalak Floating Market. The name change is due to its location right between the Kuin area and the Alalak area, North Banjarmasin District. The Kuin Alalak Floating Market is open every Saturday and Sunday morning.

Different from Muara Kuin, activities at the Lok Baintan Floating Market are still busy. Every day hundreds of jukung gather at Lok Baintan to peddle various daily needs. Apart from Lok Baintan, the traders came from several villages scattered not far from the tributaries of the Martapura River such as the Paku Alam River, Lenge River, Saka Bunut River, Tanifah River, Madang River, and Lenge River.

Lok Baintan Floating Market is located in Lok Baintan, Sungai Tabuk District, Banjar Regency. Not only local tourists, foreign tourists also come to Lok Baintan. Visitors who want to see trade or shopping activities up close can rent a jukung or klotok (motorboat) around the Martapura River.

It will definitely be an unforgettable experience, because you will walk along the river while shopping at the floating market.*

g market is better known as the Lok Baintan Floating Market.

The connection between the royal center and river trading activities is commonplace. According to Mohamad Idwar Saleh in a Glance of the Banjar Region and its River Culture up to the end of the 19th century, old and new cities where the concentration of population was concentrated were always on the edge, intersection or river mouth.

Helloindonesia.id – South KALIMANTAN is blessed with beautiful rivers that connect one region to another. The existence of these rivers affects the activities of its inhabitants. One of them with the emergence of many traditional markets on the river known as the floating market.

In South Kalimantan, there are still two floating markets that have been going on for hundreds of years, namely the Muara Kuin Floating Market in Banjarmasin and the Lok Baintan Floating Market in Martapura.

ong and large population settlements is often accompanied by economic control and river trade, which then transforms into new palace centers,” said Mohamad Idwar Saleh.

Evidence of this connection can be seen from the toponym Murung Keraton (murung means river), which is now a sub-district in Martapura District, Banjar Regency. According to Sunarningsih in “Martapura Kota Diamond; Martapura Darussalam” in the journal Naditira Widya Vol. 1 No. 2 2007, Murung Keraton is an indication that the palace area used to be around the Batuah Palace Village to the river area which is now next to the market.

“Market activity in the past also took place along the Martapura River. When transportation still relies on the river, the existing market is also on the river. We can still see this floating market activity in the Lok Baintan and Kuin areas,” said Sunarningsih.

Trading activities at the Muara Kuin and Lok Baintan floating markets are busy since early morning and reach their peak at 6-7 am. The types of merchandise traded are generally agricultural and plantation products of the local community. If the harvest season arrives, the traders in the floating market will exceed the usual number of days. In addition to the harvest period, activities at the floating market are busy on market days, which is every Friday.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, local traditional cakes are often traded by traders. There is also a heavy breakfast with the mainstay menu of soto banjar and the occasional diamond. In order to make it easier for traders and buyers to transact, each kelotok usually provides a stick with a wire hook so that their boats can get closer to each other.

After surviving hundreds of years, the Muara Kuin Floating Market had “drowned”. The pace of land-oriented development is one of the reasons. Until finally in early 2020, the floating market “came back to life”.

According to information from the website of the Banjarmasin City Government’s Communication, Informatics and Statistics Agency, if previously the market was located in the Alalak ferry dock area, now the location is a little easier to reach, namely in front of the Sultan Suriansyah’s Tomb. The name was changed to Kuin Alalak Floating Market. The name change is due to its location right between the Kuin area and the Alalak area, North Banjarmasin District. The Kuin Alalak Floating Market is open every Saturday and Sunday morning.

Different from Muara Kuin, activities at the Lok Baintan Floating Market are still busy. Every day hundreds of jukung gather at Lok Baintan to peddle various daily needs. Apart from Lok Baintan, the traders came from several villages scattered not far from the tributaries of the Martapura River such as the Paku Alam River, Lenge River, Saka Bunut River, Tanifah River, Madang River, and Lenge River.

Lok Baintan Floating Market is located in Lok Baintan, Sungai Tabuk District, Banjar Regency. Not only local tourists, foreign tourists also come to Lok Baintan. Visitors who want to see trade or shopping activities up close can rent a jukung or klotok (motorboat) around the Martapura River.

It will definitely be an unforgettable experience, because you will walk along the river while shopping at the floating market.*