Bandung, a shining jewel encased between verdant peaks and vast canopies. A bustling city that once held the glamorous nickname of the Paris of Java, where Dutch settlers had established symbols of opulence in the forms of luxurious cafes and hotels; a little slice of European grandeur away from the dense and crowded sectors of modern Djakarta. The Dutch greatly admired the then idyllic town, plans were drafted to relocate the capital, notable infrastructure programs like the Great Post Road originated here, a settlement favored by the rulers.

The arrival of the Japanese warships and soldiers heralded a new era for the city of Bandung. The town grew into a prosperous city of lights and knowledge, the Dutch had left behind universities and grand works of architecture known throughout the entirety of the archipelago; an alumnus of the Bandung Institute of Technology would go on to reshape his country drastically, into what we perceive it as currently.

Today, Bandung retains its importance in the era of national independence, the capital of the province of West Java, a venerable city nestled upon the banks of the Cikapundung River.