Published on September 19, 2014
A fiesta of culture and traditional folk games will be presented at the Rongkong River Festival 2014 scheduled to take place on 28th to 31st October 2014 by the Rongkong River, in the Tulak Tallu Village, Sabbang District, North Luwu Regency, in the province of South Sulawesi.
The 4 days’ festival will be highlighted with a variety of exciting activities including the traditional games of Ma’Gasing (Spinning Tops), Ma’Dengka-Dengka (High Stilts), and Ma’Raki (traditional bamboo rafting); Traditional Dance Festival, Art and Cultural Creativity Competition, and Cultural Carnival; next to the Rongkong River Beauty Pageant; Traditional Culinary Competition; and Traditional Boat Decorating Competition. The Ma’Raki is a unique game where participants ride the rapids while standing on a bamboo raft, whereas, the traditional boat decorating competition will feature boats that are usedfor daily transportation on the Rongkong River.
Presented by the North Luwu Regency and the Sabbang’s Youth Forum (FKPPS), the event is aimed to preserve local wisdom and indigenous cultural values while at the same time promoting tourism potentials ofthe North Luwu Regency. In the long run, the festival is expected to establish the Rongkong River and the North Luwu Regency in general as an alternative tourist destination of South Sulawesi.
Rongkong River itself is known as one of the longest rivers in South Sulawesi and one of the favorite white water rafting sites in the province. The river is categorized as class 3-4 (intermediate) level with gradients of 12-15 m/km, meaning that the rapids are intermediary and irregular. The river also provides panoramic view of tropical forest and its flora and fauna.
To reach Rongkong River, you must first get to Masamba, capital town of the North Luwu Regency which is approximately 480km north from Makassar, capital city of the Province of South Sulawesi. The overland trip will take about 7 hours. From there you continue to Tulak Tallu Village in the Sabbang district, which takes about an hour and a half.
