Indonesia · Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta · Jakarta
West Jakarta, Jakarta — Area Guide & Where to Stay
West Jakarta, or Jakbar, is the Old Batavia quarter of Jakarta, holding Glodok, the capital's Chinatown.
About West Jakarta
Where to stay in West Jakarta
Each area has its own feel; here's who each one suits.
Where you stay in West Jakarta depends on whether you want temples, malls, or the late hours. Glodok suits travellers who want street hawker food, Chinese restaurants, and old temple complexes at the doorstep, while the malls near Mall Taman Anggrek pull a calmer, shopping-first crowd who never have to step outside for dinner. Mangga Dua leans transactional.
Its cheap shopping lanes reward anyone who plans to carry bags home, and Mangga Besar keeps the district awake long after the rest of Jakarta has dimmed.
About West Jakarta
What are the main landmarks in West Jakarta?
Faith and commerce share the streets here. Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, Matthias the Apostle Church, and Maria Kusuma Karmel Church anchor Catholic congregations among the Chinese temples of Glodok, so a single afternoon can move from an incense-filled shrine to a parish hall within a few blocks. Malls answer back.
Mall Taman Anggrek and the wholesale rows of Mangga Dua draw shoppers from across Jakarta.
What is the history of West Jakarta?
The roots run deep. As part of Old Batavia, West Jakarta grew around the trading port that made the colonial city, and Glodok became the quarter where Jakarta's Chinese community settled, traded, and built the temples that still stand. Trade never left.
Its old shophouse lanes hardened into the electronic promenade and market rows that define Glodok, while the administrative seat of Jakbar shifted west to Puri Kembangan.
Where is West Jakarta?
West Jakarta spreads across roughly 129 square kilometres of the tropical lowland plain, one of the five administrative cities that make up Jakarta.
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Updated July 2026