Surabaya, Indonesia: A Symphony of Prosperity and History

Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country composed of thousands of islands, attracts the world's attention with its rich natural resources, diverse culture, and unique geographical location. Among the many cities in Indonesia, Surabaya is undoubtedly a shining pearl, known for its prosperous business atmosphere, long history, and unique geographical location. Surabaya, known as Surabaya in Indonesian, is located in the eastern part of Java Island. It is the capital of East Java Province and the second largest city in Indonesia. The city covers an area of about 330 square kilometers and has a population of more than 2.87 million (as of 2020), making it one of the four major central cities in Indonesia. Surabaya is located on the southwest side of the Strait of Surabaya, facing Madu Island across the strait. It has been an important foreign trade port on Java Island since ancient times, connecting the economic lifeline of Indonesia and the world. Surabaya is a commercial city and port city mainly engaged in trade, and its economic development level ranks among the top in Indonesia. Most of the population here is engaged in services, industry and trade, forming a diversified economic system. The main industries in Surabaya include shipbuilding, heavy equipment, food processing, agriculture, electronics, home decoration, and handicrafts. The main products are cigarettes, textiles, sugar, coffee, steel, shoes, etc. In addition, Surabaya has complete financial infrastructure, with many modern financial institutions such as banks, insurance and import and export companies, and is one of the important financial hubs in the Indonesian archipelago. Surabaya is not only a prosperous modern city, but also an ancient city with a long history. As early as the Middle Ages, Surabaya had become a foreign trade port in Java, witnessing the coming and going of countless merchant ships and cultural exchanges. The place name of Surabaya is also full of legendary colors. One argument is that its original meaning is "shark crocodile", named after the local desolate swamp; another argument is related to Chinese beliefs. It is said that the Chinese called the temple where the "Sizhou Buddha" was enshrined as the "Sishui Temple", which gradually evolved into a place name. Regardless of which argument, it reflects the profound historical heritage and cultural accumulation of Surabaya. Surabaya is not only an economically prosperous city, but also a charming tourist destination. The main attractions in the city include the House of Sampoerna, Tugu Pahlawan and Surabaya Zoo. In addition, visitors to Surabaya usually go to the surrounding area to climb volcanoes, such as the famous Mount Ijen and Mount Bromo, to experience the magnificence and mystery of nature. The cityscape of Surabaya is also fascinating. High-rise buildings, brilliant lights and ancient buildings reflect each other, showing the unique charm of this city. Surabaya also enjoys a high reputation internationally and has established friendly city relations with many countries and regions. Among them, Xiamen, China and Surabaya officially established international friendly city relations on June 23, 2006. The two cities have carried out extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation in many fields such as economic and trade exchanges, cultural arts, sports competitions, and urban construction. This kind of international friendly exchanges and cooperation not only promotes the economic development and social progress of Surabaya, but also deepens the friendship and understanding between people of different countries. Surabaya, Indonesia is a vibrant and charming city. It attracts the world's attention with its prosperous business atmosphere, long history, unique geographical location and rich tourism resources. In future development, Surabaya will continue to play its unique advantages and contribute to the prosperity and progress of Indonesia and the world.