"The piers being built this year have religious themes," said Banjarmasin Mayor Ibnu Sina on Friday.
The construction of three piers is financed by the special allocation fund from the Ministry of Transportation, he added.
One of the piers, designed with a religious theme, is being constructed at Kubah Basirih in West Banjarmasin with an estimated cost of Rp2.5 billion (approximately US$165,000).
Kubah Basirih, which is the sacred tomb of Habib Basirih, has gained attention from the central government after the surrounding area was designated as a tourism village in 2022.
"Therefore, the piers are being built to support river transportation, increase tourist visits, and enable them to enjoy river crossing tours," said Sina.
Banjarmasin city has significant potential for river tourism, earning it the nickname "City of a Thousand Rivers."
The mayor mentioned that the city is also known as a religious city with numerous sacred tombs and mosques.
Apart from the pier at Kubah Basirih, similar piers are also being constructed at the Martapura Riverfront, in front of the City Hall, and near the Pandang Tower.
"We are building four more piers this year with the city budget, and they will have similar designs to the piers funded by the central government," Sina disclosed.
Last year, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno visited Kubah Basirih in Banjarmasin, which was included in the top 50 villages in the Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI).
He expressed hope that the local government and the community would develop the tourist site together.
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Translator: Sukarli, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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