#history of Langsa, Enchantment of East Coast of Aceh

in #aceh7 years ago

Simpang Komodor Kota Langsa

Image by @nunis

Hi steemians...
As per my old promise in My Introduce...
I will tell you about the history of Langsa City to you guys ...
Maybe the title is too horrendous... But it is a slogan that is being introduced by the tourism office of Langsa City.. Because Langsa City is preparing to head for a friendly, beautiful and comfortable tourist town for tourists ...

To be more familiar with Langsa City, you can enjoy this Video Profile

Langsa City ... Coming to Return ... : D

The city of Langsa is still very young, already 17 years of age Langsa City since split from East Aceh on 17 October 2001 based on Act number 3 dated June 21, 2001. Although the city is still very young, but the city is a lot of history in the past. Including early history of the establishment of Langsa City and the origin of the name Langsa City itself. There are many versions of it because there is no accurate evidence of the city's naming history. Here I have summarized some of the most famous versions of the history of the origin of this Langsa City.

First Version.
This is the most famous story about the origin of Langsa's name. You could say this is the urban legend of Langsa City. The story comes from word of mouth from old people of old, even almost every Langsa people know about this story.
Narrated, in ancient times there are two kingdoms of birds around Langsa, the Kingdom of Eagles are located around Kuala Idi, East Aceh and the Kingdom of Swans in the region of Aceh Tamiang. At one time, the food supply in the territory of both kingdoms was thinning, so the king ordered his soldiers to search for food sources in other regions.

Kuala Langsa Sekarang

Image by Langsa News

After a long search, finally found an area with abundant food sources, the area is located around Kuala Langsa. There was a war between the two kingdoms in order to gain territory with such abundant food sources. Until finally, the two leaders of this kingdom agreed to divide the territory, five days for the Kingdom of Swans and two days for the Kingdom of Eagles.

In another story, in fact Kuala Langsa is a territory of the Kingdom of geese, so the Kingdom of Swans get a quota of days longer than the Kingdom of Eagles.
As a sign of the agreement, they named the region as Langsa derived from the name of the two kingdoms. In Indonesian Eagles are Elang and Swans are Angsa. So if combined into Langsa.


Second Version.
Narrated by one of the descendants of the seventh generation King of Langsa, dr. Alwi that Langsa has stood since the 15th century. At that time, a Prince from the Kingdom of Pagaruyung, West Sumatra sailed to this area via the Strait of Malacca and anchored in the Titi Kembar (now Gp. Baroh, Langsa Lama District). The prince then opened the wilderness in the area to be a new land to live in. It was said that at that time, there came a great eagle circling above the region. So the prince named it the name Elangsa, which comes from a combination of Elang (in English means Eagle Bird) and Sa (in Acehnese meaning one). So Elangsa means one big eagle.

Lapangan Merdeka Kota Langsa

Image by Fadly Rahman

After many years finally Elangsa became Langsa because of the adaptation of the pronunciation of people in the past. Until now, the big eagle is still we can see above the pine trees at Merdeka Square Langsa City.


Third Version.
This version comes from the opinion of Ponidi Sanjaya in one of social media. He is a lecturer from Samudra University of Langsa City.He said that in the area around Langsa there are two rivers, namely Lueng Sa (now Gp. Sungai Lueng, East Langsa District) which means river one in the language of Aceh and Lueng Dua (now Gp. Alur Dua, Langsa Baro District) which means river two in the Aceh language.
According to his estimates, Langsa was only a small kingdom and then with the approval of Ulee Balang (Head of Government in the Sultanate of Aceh), the Netherlands were allowed to open rubber plantations in Langsa, Julok (now district of East Aceh) and Pulau Tiga (now district of Aceh Tamiang). With the opening of the farmland, the Netherlands sent transmigrants from Java to work in the rubber company. Possibly, with the arrival of transmigrants from Java Island this changes dialect in this region, causing the change of pronunciation Lueng Sa slowly became Langsar and then became Langsa. This rubber plantation has now become PT. Perkebunan Nusantara I with head office in Langsa City.


Fourth Version.
According to the story, Langsa City was originally planned by the Dutch Colonial to be built using the master plan of the establishment of Bogor City, thus making this city was originally the only city in the region of Aceh with a very good initial spatial structure and until now we can still find the building - old Dutch heritage building in the heart of Langsa City.

Balee Juang Langsa

Image by @umarmaulana

Just like the city of Bogor, Langsa City at the beginning of its establishment has been designated a land in Gp. Paya Bujok Seuleumak to make an area like Bogor Botanical Garden, now called Ruang Terbuka Hijau (Green Open Space ) or better known as Protection Forest of Langsa.


Such is the variety of stories about the origin of the name and history of the establishment of this Langsa City. Until now the city government Langsa still trying to trace the history and origin of the name of Langsa City. Recent search results so far have found some ancient headstone in the ponds owned by local communities. But it is not known where the gravestone belongs to whom. If in the future history has been successfully traced it will be used as a book so that the community and children and grandchildren will be able to know when and where Langsa first time there. And there is a possibility Langsa city icon that currently Sharpened bamboo will turn into Eagle.
Apart from that, let us both maintain and care for this City Langsa in particular and other cities where we live generally so that later these cities can still be occupied by our children and grandchildren later.

Note:
Gp : Abbreviation of Gampong or Village
If there is any mistake in this paper, I apologize and please be reprimanded or corrected. Thanks.

Reference:
Facebook Ponidi Sanjaya
Satu-jam.blogspot.com
Kaskus

Regards,

@gojopeppo

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Nice artikel 😍😍