Great Trip to Palembang, North Sumatera!

Palembang, the second largest town on Sumatera after Medan, was once the celebrated seat of the rich and powerful Srivijaya kingdom, that for more than three centuries - from the 9th to the 11th century - reigned supreme over the Sumatera seas up to and including the strategic Straits of Malacca.

Srivijaya was then known as the wealthy trade hub as well as the center for Buddhist learnings. Monks from China, India and Java used to congregate here to learn and teach the lessons of Buddha. In AD 671 Chinese chronicles wrote that the famous Chinese Buddhist monk, I Ching sojourned in Palembang for six months on his way to India.  I Ching wrote that there were more than 1.000 Buddhist monks in the city and advised Chinese monks to study Sanskrit in Palembang before proceeding to India.