During the Dutch period, Semarang was often hit by floods given the location of Semarang which is near the beach. Besides that, in the middle of the city also flows a big river. The frequent arrival of the flood disaster certainly makes Semarang residents uneasy, especially when the rainy season arrives. When the floods arrived, many of the residents' assets were washed away.
To deal with flooding, the Dutch Government took the initiative to build canals in the western and eastern parts of Semarang. So the two canals are known as the West Flood Canal and East Flood Canal. A canal is a ditch that functions like a river. Some of the river water that divides Semarang is flowed into smaller rivers. The aim is so that large river water does not overflow into flooding during the rainy season.
The Origin of the Lemah Gempal Name
Then began the construction of two canals, one canal in the western part of Semarang and another canal in the east. Problems arise in the working of canals in the west. The workers find it difficult to build a western canal because when building embankments, excavation of lands is always landslides. As a result, the construction of the western canal has not been completed.
Feeling hopeless, the workers then went to a smart person in Semarang named Ki Sanak. Workers ask for Ki Sanak's advice so that the land in the western canal does not collapse. After hearing the complaints of the workers, Ki Sanak then ordered the workers to take the stones which were on the right and left of his house. Then Ki Sanak ordered the two stones to be planted in one of the west channel embankments that was being worked on.
After expressing their gratitude, the workers then took the stones to the right and left of Ki Sanak's house and begged to leave. Upon arrival at the job site, the workers immediately carried out Ki Sanak's order to bury the two stones in one of the embankments. Miraculously, not long after the ruins of the embankment were reunited. While parts of the embankment which originally collapsed returned to be intact. Since then, the area has been known as Lemah Gempal. In Javanese language means weak land and stocky means landslides or chunks.
The following is a folklore from Central Java about the origin of the name Lemah Gempal, an area in Semarang, Central Java Province.
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More Folklore on Central Java:
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