REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PALEMBANG -- Kemaro Island, a small delta located in the middle of Musi River, is expected to become a favorite tourist destination during the 2018 Asian Games.

The 1,300 m2-island has an ancient Chinese pagoda and temple known for its famous love story. Athletes from China and Hong Kong will most likely visit the island, Hermansyah of the Palembang tourism office said here, Sunday.

So far, most foreign tourists visiting Kemaro are those from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The small island is located some six kilometers from Ampera Bridge, the icon of Palembang.

The Chinese temple was built on the isle in honor of a legendary love story between a Chinese prince, Tan Bun Ann and a princess of Palembang, Siti Fatimah.

Currently, Kemaro Island has 10 bungalows, a pier, a suspension bridge, and several other public facilities. The Palembang municipality administration has set a target of drawing one million tourists in 2017, and 2.5 million in 2018 coinciding with the Asian Games.

Over two million tourists visited South Sumatra Province this year, and most of them visited Palembang too.

The 2018 Asian Games will be co-host by Palembang and Jakarta from Aug 18 to Sept 2. Some three thousand athletes from 45 Asian countries will participate in the Games.

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