Kemaro Island

Pulau Kemaro is a small island in the Musi downstream of Palembang, and the story attached to it is a Chinese-Palembang legend: a Chinese prince, Tan Bun An, came to marry a Srivijayan princess, Siti Fatimah, and brought jars of gold as dowry; finding what looked like vegetables on top he threw them overboard, then realised the gold was beneath and dived after them, and the princess followed and both drowned. The island is said to have risen where they went in. A Chinese temple, Hok Tjing Rio, stands there with a nine-storey pagoda built in 2006, a tomb attributed to the couple and a tree on which couples write their names. It is a pilgrimage point for Palembang's Chinese community, especially at Cap Go Meh, the fifteenth night of the lunar new year.

What's there

• A nine-storey pagoda - built in 2006 beside the older temple.
• The Hok Tjing Rio temple - the Chinese shrine at the centre of the island.
• The drowned lovers' tomb - the grave attributed to the prince and princess.
• Cap Go Meh crowds - the lunar new year pilgrimage from Palembang.

When to go

All year; Cap Go Meh in February or March. Half a day.

Before you go

The Musi is heavily polluted and the crossing is not scenic. The island is small - an hour covers it. Cap Go Meh is extremely crowded. Boat prices are negotiated at the waterfront.

Nearby

The Ampera bridge and Kuto Besak fort are upstream at Palembang.

Key facts