Semarang is a city on the north coast of the island of Java, Indonesia. A major port during the Dutch colonial era, and still an important port today, the city is known in Indonesia for its large ethnically Chinese population.
As a result of its large ethnically Chinese population, the city boasts several Chinese temples. These include Sam Po Kong (Kedung Batu), built in honour of the Chinese Great Admiral Zheng He who visited the area in 1405, and Tay Kak Sie Temple. Gereja Blenduk, a 1753 Protestant church built by Dutch, is located in the old town (called "Oudstad"). Tugu Muda (Youth Monument), a monument to heroes of Indonesia's independence struggle, is located in front of Gedung Lawang Sewu, at the end of Jalan Pemuda, one of the city's major shopping streets.