The Battle of Surabaya in November 1945 was Indonesia's bloodiest in the war for independence, the three-week fight where Indonesians resisted British troops who had come to accept Japanese surrender. The thousands who died, the resistance that delayed British victory, the martyrdom that the battle created - November 10 is Heroes Day throughout Indonesia, commemorating what Surabaya sacrificed.

The battle shapes how Surabaya sees itself - the city of heroes, the place where resistance proved Indonesia would not accept recolonization. The monuments that commemorate the battle, the museum that documents it - the battle is what Surabaya contributes to Indonesian identity.

The colonial quarter that Dutch merchants built survives in patches, the buildings along the Kalimas River that trade created, the Jembatan Merah (Red Bridge) that marks the old commercial center. The colonial architecture that other Indonesian cities have demolished, that Surabaya retains through neglect as much as intent - the quarter shows what colonial Indonesia looked like.

The colonial quarter is not restored for tourists, which makes it authentic if not pretty. The buildings that commerce still uses, the warehouses that still function, the decay that maintenance hasn't prevented - the quarter is what history looks like when preservation isn't priority.

The Arab Quarter that grew around the Sunan Ampel Mosque, one of Java's oldest and holiest, provides the Islamic character that Java's history produced. The traders from Yemen who settled here centuries ago, whose descendants remain, the pilgrims who visit the mosque's founder's grave - the quarter is where Islam in Java began.

The Arab Quarter is dense with shops selling religious goods, the lanes that wind between buildings, the mosque that remains center of faith and commerce. The quarter is not Arab anymore in population - Javanese and Madurese predominate - but the name and the mosque persist.

Surabaya's Chinese community is among Indonesia's largest, the traders who have lived here for centuries, whose temples survive despite periodic violence, whose commerce remains significant. The Klenteng Sanggar Agung temple on the waterfront, the Chinese quarter near the old city - the Chinese presence shapes Surabaya's economy and complicates its politics.

The Chinese in Indonesia occupy complicated position - essential to economy, resented by some, periodically targeted for violence. The Chinese who stay in Surabaya stay because opportunity remains; the history of violence is background that community cannot forget.

Surabaya serves as gateway to East Java's attractions - Mount Bromo whose sunrise draws thousands, the Ijen crater whose blue flames glow at night, the beaches and temples that the region holds. The tourists who pass through Surabaya rarely stop; the city serves as departure point rather than destination.

The gateway role is what Surabaya accepts - the infrastructure that serves travelers, the hotels that house them overnight, the commerce that transit provides. The city has attractions, but they cannot compete with what lies beyond.