Bandung

Bandung is the capital of Indonesia's West Java province and the country's third-largest city, behind Jakarta and Jakarta International Airport. Greater Bandung is the third-largest metropolitan region in Indonesia, with a population of more than 11 million people. In addition to being 768 metres (2,520 feet) above sea level, Bandung has the highest point in the northern area at 1,050 metres and the lowest point in the southern area at 675 metres above sea level. Situated approximately 140 kms (87 miles) south of the city of Jakarta, Bandung has chillier year-round temperatures than the majority of the country's other major urban areas. Located in a river system encircled by volcanoes, the city works as a natural defence system, which was the key rationale for the Dutch East Indies government's decision to relocate the capital from Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) to Bandung in the early nineteenth century.

Dutch settlers began establishing tea plantations in the surrounding highlands in the 18th century, and a road was built to link the plantation region with the colonial capital of Batavia, which was 180 kilometres (112 miles) away to the northwest. As early as 1906, the Dutch residents of Bandung sought the formation of a municipality (gemeente), which was granted, and Bandung steadily evolved into a popular vacation city for plantation owners and their employees. Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafés, and European shops sprouted in the city, earning it the moniker "Parijs van Java" (Paradise of Java) (Dutch: "The Paris of Java").

Since Indonesia gained independence in 1945, the city has undergone continuous development and urbanisation, evolving from an idyllic town to a dense metropolitan area with a population density of 16,500 people per square kilometre (per square kilometre squared) and enough living space for over 8 million people. A large number of new skyscrapers and high-rise structures, as well as bridges and gardens, have been built. It has been extensively exploited, notably via the conversion of protected upland areas into highland homes and real estate, which has increased the demand for natural resources. The city continues to draw significant numbers of visitors, weekend sightseers, and migrants from other regions of Indonesia, despite the fact that it has faced several challenges (ranging from trash management and flooding to a convoluted traffic system due to a lack of road infrastructure). In 2017, the city received a regional environmental sustainability award for having the cleanest air among major cities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Also known as a Smart City, the city makes use of technology to enhance government services as well as social media to notify people to situations like as flooding or traffic congestion. Bandung is Indonesia's most important technological hub. The city is a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's Creative Cities Network, which it joined in 2015.

In 1955, President Sukarno organised the first Asian-African Conference, known as the Bandung Conference, in the Indonesian city of Bandung. The existing Husein Sastranegara International Airport (BDO) was redeveloped, and the project was finished in 2016. The building of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail line, which began in 2016 and is expected to be finished by 2021, is being undertaken to enhance infrastructure. Additionally, an indigenous form of Automated People Mover (APM) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) are planned to supplement this (LRT). The new, bigger second airport, Bandung Kertajati International Airport (KJT), which opened in June 2018 just in time for the 2018 Asian Games, is the largest in Indonesia.