Field notes

Overhaul for 300-year-old Jakarta market

Jakarta's famous Pasar Senen will be getting a $46 million revamp to transform it into a 21st-century tourist icon, but some vendors fear it will lead to higher rentals and a loss of ambience.

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Along a narrow path between a bus terminal and a worksite where heavy machinery is busy at work, a crowd of people brave the scorching sun to browse at a makeshift collection of second-hand book stalls.

The stalls are tucked into a corner of Pasar Senen, Jakarta's legendary market known for cheap second-hand goods ranging from clothing to electronics, including from Singapore.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 06, 2018, with the headline Overhaul for 300-year-old Jakarta market. Subscribe