Tanjungpinang Old Town
Tanjungpinang
The capital of Riau Islands Province and the largest town on Bintan, with a large ethnic Chinese population. Stilt houses on the water, old shophouses and affordable seafood make it a good place to experience daily local life.
Tanjungpinang lies on the southwest coast of Bintan and is the capital of Riau Islands Province. Historically it was a trading port of the Johor-Riau Sultanate, and it has a large ethnic Chinese community, mostly of Teochew and Hokkien origin, so Chinese signboards and temples can be seen on the streets. Highlights include the old town around the port, especially along Jalan Merdeka, with arcaded shophouses, coffee shops and gold shops. The Tepi Laut waterfront promenade is good for watching the sunset, grilled fish and coconut ice. Across the water, the village of Senggarang has a Chinese community built on stilts over the sea and a century-old Datuk Kong temple, reachable by small boat from the port. Local dishes include chili crab, laksa, otak-otak fish cakes and Teochew kway teow. Prices are about a third of those in the northern resort areas. Getting there: from Singapore's Tanah Merah ferry terminal, take a Majestic or Sindo ferry for about 2 hours to Sri Bintan Pura terminal. A hired car from the northern resorts takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Note: traffic in the old town is chaotic, so watch out for motorbikes when crossing roads. Exchange rupiah at banks or licensed exchangers in the town.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alamsyah Museum
- Senggarang Chinese Village & Temples
- Penyengat Island
- Vihara Avalokitesvara Graha
- Vihara Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (500 Lohan Temple)
- Blue Lake & Busung Sand Dunes
- Mount Bintan
- Trikora Beach