Floating Markets: Tradition, Islamic Education, and Local Wisdom of the Banjar Community (A Case Study of the Floating Market at Siring Tendean)

Abstract

As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia possesses unique sociocultural characteristics that have emerged from a process of syncretism between religion and local culture, resulting in the integration of Islamic values into community traditions. One such unique manifestation is the floating market in Banjarmasin, which centers its civilization around the river. This study aims to analyze the existence of the floating market within the framework of local traditions and wisdom, as well as to uncover the process of internalizing Islamic educational values contained within it, particularly in the context of the shift from rural to urban areas. This study employs a qualitative method combining two approaches: a literature review (library research) to analyze secondary data regarding the Lok Baintan Floating Market, and field research through observation, interviews, and documentation to explore the phenomena at the Siring Tendean Floating Market. The findings of this study indicate that the Siring Tendean Floating Market is not merely a culturally-based economic tourist attraction but a living ethno-pedagogical space within the urban setting. The existence of cultural attributes such as jukung, tanggui, bungkalan, kakamban, pupur basah, and the barter system is not merely cultural tourism but a continuous pedagogical process that constitutes the collective identity of the Banjar community. This local wisdom shapes the values that make the floating market unique, such as economic value, closeness to nature, cultural identity, and tourism. Furthermore, these local wisdom values define the character of the vendors. Noble values as local wisdom—such as closeness to nature, responsibility, perseverance, hard work, bravery, resilience, respect for time, independence, honesty, and mutual aid—are reflected in their daily behaviors in both business and family life. These values are integrated with Islamic educational values, which form religious practices that are inseparable from this tradition. Islamic educational values such as faith (akidah), worship (ibadah), ethics (akhlak), and the Six Necessities (al-dharuriyyat al-sittah) which encompass the preservation of religion, life, intellect, lineage, wealth, and the environment emerge as Islamic characteristics that have naturally formed within the community’s customs.