Pasar Baru

Pasar Baru is a commercial district in Central Jakarta where a north-south street is lined with shops selling textiles, shoes, clothing, and fashion items under covered walkways. The stores form a continuous shopping landscape that stretches for several blocks, protecting buyers from the heat beneath sheltered passages.

The district was established in 1820 by the Dutch Colonial government as a marketplace for European elites, making it Jakarta's oldest shopping quarter. It evolved from an exclusive trading center into a diverse marketplace that later attracted merchants and buyers from many communities.

Textile merchants from Punjab and Sindh trade alongside Chinese and local vendors in this mixed commercial space. The overlapping languages, products, and trading styles reflect a genuine cultural exchange that happens daily on these streets.

The area is accessible by the TransJakarta Corridor 8 bus line or through Juanda station on the commuter rail network. The covered walkways provide welcome shade on hot days, and early mornings or late afternoons tend to be less crowded.

The Lee Le Seng store has operated continuously since 1873, still selling sewing supplies and school materials to today's shoppers. This small shop is one of the oldest continuously running businesses in the area, showing how the district has remained stable across generations.