Sights in Tanjung Pinang

This article discusses the various Tanjung Pinang sights and attractions. 

Tanjung Pinang attractions

At the heart of Tanjung Pinang lies the old part of town where houses are built on stilts. There are also beautiful plaster houses that have well maintained gardens. This part of town can be explored on foot. You can also take a taxi that will take you to Bintan Mall, Bintan Center and Trikora beach. There are enormous concrete block buildings that are a testament to the business influence. Jl. Pelantar II has a marketplace with very tightly packed shops that hawk all kinds of goods. There is a fantastic sculpture park and a newly built Buddhist temple that is home to the Goddess of Mercy statue. The remnants of a lot of old palaces and tombs can also be seen. Tanjung Pinang also has a Cultural Center that holds regular exhibition performances of Malayan music and dance. 

Penyengat Island

Penyengat Island is just across from Tanjung Pinang. It has a population of 300 people. The Sultan of Riau Grand Mosque is an old vice-royal mosque that is visited devout visitors. It was built using a mixture of egg whites and lime as cement. It is being considered by the World Heritage on its list of sites that need to be preserved. The Riau Grand mosque was built during the rule of Sultan Mahmudsyah. At this time, Engku Puteri Raja Hamidah, wife of the Sultan, resided on the island. Initially this mosque consisted of a simple wooden building. It had brick floors and towers that had a height of approximately 6 meters. Now, its main building has a size of 29.3 x 19.5 meters. It has 4 pillars, 13 domes and 4 towers. 

The old palaces and tombs that are a legacy of the Riau sultanate can be seen here. You can also visit the place where the esteemed Raja Ali Haji was burried. The first version of the Malayan grammar book was authored by him. A lot of Malayan wedding temples are dotted all over the island.

Monument of Raja Haji Fisabillah

The monument of Raja Haji Fisabillah is a famous monument situated in Western Tanjung Pinang directly facing Penyengat Island. It is dedicated to the memory of Raja Haji. He ruled during the late 18th century. He died while taking part in Malacca battle that was fought opposite the Dutch people. 
 
Snake River Temple

Sungai Ular Buddhist Temple, or Snake River Temple, is located at the mouth of the Sungai Ular River. It sits just opposite to the harbor in Pinang. It is at the center of a body of water and can be accessed by boat. It is considered to be the oldest Chinese temple in Riau. It is decorated with gory murals depicting the Chinese version of hell.