The Keraton Kadriah is the palace of the Sultan of Pontianak, a modest yellow wooden structure sitting directly on the Kapuas riverbank. Built in 1771, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city and contains the royal artefacts, regalia, and furniture of the Alkadrie sultanate.
The palace interior is open to visitors and gives a real sense of the trade wealth that Pontianak accumulated through the 18th and 19th centuries — Dutch mirrors, Chinese porcelain, and local Malay woodwork all mixed together. The cannons in front are original, aimed down the river to defend the palace approach. The wooden construction on stilts over the water is characteristic of Malay coastal architecture across Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
Take the small ferry across from the city centre — the crossing takes five minutes and the view back toward the confluence from the water is the best view of the old Pontianak waterfront.