A bustling ancient river city with wooden stilt houses on docks, many boats, and people in traditional clothing under a hazy sky.

A photorealistic depiction of daily life in the capital region of the Srivijaya Empire (Palembang) at its height around the 9th century CE. A bustling riverfront city built along wide waterways rather than stone streets. Wooden houses on stilts line the riverbanks, connected by docks, walkways, and small bridges. Long wooden boats crowd the river, carrying spices, ceramics, textiles, and incense. Merchants, sailors, monks, and travelers from India and China interact along the docks and river markets. People wear lightweight but fully covering tropical garments, including wrapped sarongs paired with short-sleeved tunics, blouses, or robes, along with simple belts and jewelry. Men and women are clothed in upper-body garments appropriate to a humid climate, avoiding exposed torsos. Buddhist monks wear saffron robes draped modestly over both shoulders. The architecture is entirely wooden, with tiered roofs, carved details, and palm-leaf structures adapted to a rainforest environment. Dense jungle vegetation, broad rivers, and warm, hazy tropical light surround the scene, emphasizing Srivijaya’s role as a cosmopolitan maritime trading empire rather than a monumental stone city. Ultra-detailed, realistic lighting, cinematic photorealism. See more