Old Brievenbus at Bandung's Main Post Office

An ornamented steel 'Brievenbus' (the Dutch word for mail box) like this used to be quite a common sight in many places in the city when I was a child. It's where we drop our stamped mails to post. Now we don't see them much. Many of them have long been replaced by a simpler mail boxes or disappeared all together as fewer and fewer people send snail mails these days.

Some of these ornamented mail boxes have become a museum exhibit, some -- like this one -- have become a decorative ornament put at some post offices as a reminder of the past.

Location: Bandung's main post office on Asia-Africa street.

Bandung's Central Post Office

This is the aerial view of the corner of Asia-Afrika and Banceuy streets. The big building in the foreground is Bandung's Central Post Office (Kantor Pos Besar Bandung). The tall building at the background is Pasar Baru (lit. New Market), one of Bandung's oldest and biggest markets.

Stationery Vendors

Stationery vendors in front of Kantor Pos Besar Bandung (Bandung Grand Post Office) on Jalan Asia Afrika. Business is quieter for them now than it used to be before the era of the internet and cell phones. Now people don't send as many mails as they used to be. They now prefer emails, text messaging, and communicating with one another through social networking channels such as the facebook, etc.

Bandung Architectural Heritage: Kantor Pos Besar Bandung

This is the facade of Kantor Pos Besar Bandung (Bandung Grand Post Office) at Jalan Asia Afrika 47. In front of it is the sculpture of Universal Postal Union or Union Postale Universalle (UPU). The building is painted grey and orange because they are the colors of PT Pos Indonesia (Indonesian Postal Company).

The Grand Post Office building is listed as one of Bandung's architectural heritage by Bandung Heritage Society. This building was built in 1928 and was designed by architect J. van Gent.