VIVAnews - Pasar Baru, a market in Jakarta having strong historical background, was established during the Dutch occupation of Indonesia. At that time, Batavia - old term for Jakarta - was administered by Dutch Governor General Herman Willem Daendels, who had provided spaces for two markets, Tanah Abang and Pasar Senen.
In 1821, Daendels set up a new sector called Gambir Field, which was officiated after Governor Daendels had formed a new Dutch-Indies government center called Weltevreden.
Daendels needed to build another market in addition to Tanah Abang and Senen Market. To differentiate the new market from the others, Daendels called the market Pasar Baru (New Market).
In 1928, Pasar Baru was about to collapse because traders were suffering from huge losses. Around 60 percent of stores could not endure the recession and were forced to close down.
The Chinese community who at that period were leasing the stores believed that the economic breakdown was not solely triggered by the recession.
They believed that the statue of a cock on the rooftop of a church near Pasar Baru was considered as the cause of the problem.
The church, which was built around 1913 to 1915, was named New Church, but the wind-cock had motivated people to call the place Cock Church.
According to the Chinese's belief, centipedes are afraid of cocks. Indeed, the cock's main prey is the centipede.
Head of Retail Traders Association of Pasar Baru, Burhanudin, said that Pasar Baru looks like a centipede if it is seen from aerial view.
The alleys in Pasar Baru look like the centipede's feet while the Pasar Baru itself forms the insect's body.
Because of the cock-wind faces Pasar Baru, it's as if the cock is about to eat the centipede.
"Finally, the Chinese living in the proximity hired a Feng Shui master from China," said Burhanudin.
The Feng Shui master agreed that the cock figure had contributed to the bankruptcy that occurred at Pasar Baru.
To solve the problem, the master suggested that an eagle statue was created to shield New Market against bad luck because in his opinion cocks are scared of eagles.
At last, an eagle statue was implanted on the roof of Populer Shop, now belonging to Ayung, Burhanudin's nickname.
The master was apparently right. After the eagle figure was embedded, Pasar Baru started to recover. In 1930, the market recovered from its economic breakdown.
"You may not believe the story. But it's a fact, because in the past, the Chinese really believed in myth," he said.
Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono
