Gowa - Forty-two kingdoms from across the country will participate in the sixth Nusantara Kingdom Festival (FKN) to be held in Gowa regency, South Sulawesi, on Nov. 14-17.
Head of Gowa`s Tourism Agency, Andi Rimba Alam, is organizing the event.
"All of those 42 kingdoms have registered with us. Furthermore, some of the kingdoms` representatives have arrived in Gowa, including those from the Buton kingdom," Andi said.
This year`s FKN will include the great rally of the sixth FKN, a cultural dialogue and seminar, dress and culture shows, traditional art and dance performances and a series of exhibitions displaying kingdoms` inherited weapons, foods and handicrafts.
The FKN activities will take place at three locations, including Balla Lompoa, Syekh Yusuf and Malino tourist spots.
Andi said that the annual festival aimed to keep and preserve the tradition and culture from each kingdom as national treasures, so that they would not be scoured by the flash-modernization movement. It also serves to demonstrate the kingdom`s past role to the younger generation.
He hoped that the FKN could increase momentum to keep the kingdoms and their cultural values in tact, so that they could contribute to keeping the nation unity.
South Sulawesi, Andi added, hoped that the FKN would help the provinces tourism sector, as South Sulawesi is an important cultural destination as it was, and is, home to some powerful kingdoms such as the Gowa and the Tallo. Andi Hajramurni
Source:
http://www.thejakartapost.com (November 11, 2008)
