The Asian-African Conference (AAC), held from April 18–24, 1955, marked a historic milestone in the struggle of nations to free themselves from colonialism and imperialism. The Asia-Africa Street district in Bandung, where the landmark conference took place, has now been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The systematic and measurable process toward achieving that status began with the nomination of the area for inclusion on Indonesia’s National Tentative List submitted to UNESCO. This year’s national seminar was organized to move the initiative into a more implementation-oriented stage.
The seminar, titled “Reactualizing the Bandung Spirit in the Inclusive and Sustainable Development of the Asia-Africa District Toward UNESCO World Heritage Status,” was held at Hotel Savoy Homann on Friday, July 10, 2026, one day before the Asia-Africa Festival. The festival is scheduled to take place over the weekend, July 11–12, 2026.
Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan said the UNESCO nomination aligns with the city’s revitalization efforts along Asia-Africa Street. He emphasized that the area should not remain merely a passive historical site but should be transformed into an inclusive public space that benefits all segments of society.
“We are carrying out minor improvements around the Simpang Lima area because we are preparing for the Asia-Africa Festival. At the same time, I am assessing what additional work is needed to revitalize Simpang Lima as one of Bandung’s important landmarks,” he said.
Farhan explained that the redevelopment of the Asia-Africa Street corridor had originally been scheduled for last year but was postponed due to the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. He noted that the Asia-Africa Street to Ahmad Yani corridor forms part of the BRT’s dedicated route.
“We have to coordinate the area improvements with the ongoing BRT construction project. The BRT project will continue until 2027, and at this stage it is still focused on building the stations,” Farhan said.
He also highlighted Gedung Pensil and Gedung Vigano, two heritage buildings near Simpang Lima. The structures, owned by state-owned enterprises and private companies, are currently undergoing improvements to enhance their appearance.
“The priority is to tidy up the building facades and prevent them from becoming shelters for homeless people and vagrants, as the area had become very untidy. We are cleaning everything up. Simpang Lima is surrounded by many heritage buildings, and we are restoring them,” he said.
According to data from the Bandung Office of Culture and Tourism (Disbudpar), several heritage buildings associated with the Asian-African Conference are located in the district. One of them is the Pikiran Rakyat headquarters.
Other designated heritage buildings include Gedung Merdeka, the Asian-African Conference Museum, Hotel Savoy Homann, Hotel Preanger, De Vries Building (OCBC), the Bandung Central Post Office, Bank Mandiri Building, PLN Building, State Finance Building, Hotel Kimaya, De Majestic, and the Dwi Warna Building.
Traffic Management During the Festival
Regarding the Asia-Africa Festival, Farhan apologized in advance for possible traffic congestion around the Asia-Africa Street area. In coordination with the police, the city has prepared traffic engineering measures on several major roads.
“For people planning to attend, the event will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the parade concluding around 11:00 a.m. After that, the Asia-Africa Festival activities will continue in the Braga and Jalan Sukarno areas,” Farhan said, adding that authorities would take firm action against illegal parking.
Meanwhile, the Bandung Metropolitan Police (Polrestabes Bandung) has prepared comprehensive security measures, deploying 264 personnel and implementing traffic management strategies to ensure the success of the 2026 Asia-Africa Festival (FAA).
Head of Operations at Polrestabes Bandung, Senior Commissioner Asep Saepudin, stated that hundreds of officers would be deployed to ensure that all public activities proceed safely, orderly, and smoothly.
“A total of 186 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, while 78 officers will be assigned on Sunday,” Asep said on Friday, July 10, 2026.
He explained that, in addition to stationing personnel at event venues, police would implement both overt and covert security operations. Preventive measures, including mobile patrols in areas surrounding the event, would also be intensified. Officers would escort participants from assembly points to the venue while coordinating with traffic police managing road diversions.
Regarding traffic arrangements, Deputy Head of Traffic Operations (KBO) at Polrestabes Bandung, Police Commissioner Deden Juandi, said traffic diversions would be implemented at several locations, particularly around Asia-Africa Street and its surrounding roads, to reduce congestion during the festival.
“Traffic diversions for the Asia-Africa Festival will begin at the Tamblong–Asia Afrika intersection,” Deden said.
He explained that vehicles approaching from the north and east would be redirected south via Jalan Lengkong Besar, Jalan Dalem Kaum, Jalan Pungkur, and several other roads.
Furthermore, vehicles coming from the north or east will not be allowed to enter Jalan Naripan through the Tamblong–Naripan intersection. Access from the Braga–Naripan intersection has also been closed because event tents have been erected along the Short Braga Street area.
To ease congestion caused by the redirected traffic, the Bandung Traffic Police will implement a contra-flow system along Jalan Dalem Kaum, temporarily reversing traffic from east to west.
On the other hand, Long Braga Street will remain open to normal traffic. The regular “Braga Beken” weekend event has been suspended as a strategic measure by the city government and police to minimize congestion in central Bandung.
“Long Braga Street will operate as usual. There will be no Braga Beken event this weekend in order to reduce traffic congestion,” Deden said.
Alternative Routes Recommended
Deden urged the public, especially motorists planning to travel through the Asia-Africa Street area, to use alternative routes whenever possible.
“Please continue to obey traffic regulations, follow all road signs, comply with officers’ instructions on the ground, and always prioritize safety while traveling,” he said.***
