Tana Toraja celebrates anniversary

TANA TORAJA, South Sulawesi (JP): Tana Toraja, one of Indonesia's most famous tourist destinations, is celebrating its 750th anniversary with a week of cultural shows.

The festival was opened on Tuesday by South Sulawesi's deputy governor, Darmadi CH, and features cultural shows involving more than 3,000 Torajans.

About 20,000 people, including foreign tourists, went to the opening in the Tana Toraja capital of Rantepao, about 365 kilometers north of Ujungpandang.

Darmadi said the Rp 1 billion (US$417,000) festival would run until Monday and help promote Tana Toraja as tourist spot.

The festivities comprise 16 events including carnivals, bull fighting, and traditional dances performed by the Torajan, Bugis, Makassarese, and Mandarese people.

Other festivities include drawing and handicraft contests, traditional dressing contests, and the traditional Rambu Solo and Rambu Tuka death ritual dances.

Tana Toraja's regent, Tarsis Kodrat, said the festival aimed to revitalize local culture and promote the region as South Sulawesi's best holiday resort.

The chief of Tana Toraja's tourism office, Y.S. Dalipang, said the regency was aiming to attract 95,000 tourists this year.

About 20,000 foreign tourists visited Tana Toraja in the six months to June this year.

Last month, 230,000 tourists, including 60,000 foreigners, went to Tana Toraja.

In 1974, when Tana Toraja's development was still in its infancy, only 20,000 people went there.

Tana Toraja now has 17 star-rated hotels and dozens of other accommodation places.

The festival will also feature a symposium on Toraja culture. The Secretary General of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication Jonathan L. Parapak, a Torajan, will be the keynote speaker. (37/aan)