Don't Miss Setu Babakan Festival, Introducing Betawi Culture

Jakarta Provincial Government keeps conducting various ways to preserve and develop the Betawi culture in the capital city. One of them is by holding the 2014 Setu Babakan Festival. In the festival initiated by the Betawi Culture Preservation Village (PBB) Setu Babakan, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, the visitors are invited to know Betawi culture more closely.

The festival is a regular agenda of the South Jakarta Administration through Jakarta Tourism Sub-Department. It aims to develop, preserve, and continue to do socialization to the public about Betawi culture

The festival that has been held from Saturday (8/9) until Sunday (8/10), presenting various Betawi arts. They are mask dance, gambang kromong (a traditional Betawi music ensemble), until comedy performance from Betawian artists. Besides that, visitors can also enjoy the atmosphere of Setu Babakan with boating in the lake as wide as ​​2.8 hectares.

"The festival is a regular agenda of the South Jakarta Administration through Jakarta Tourism Sub-Department. It aims to develop, preserve, and continue to do socialization to the public about Betawi culture," said Mayor of South Jakarta, Noor Shamsuddin, Saturday (8/9).

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Head of South Jakarta Tourism Sub-Department, Ukar Saputra added such festival is different than last year, where it will be held two days. "Last year, we held similar festival one day, only Sunday. Due to high enthusiasm, we decided to hold it two days this year, precisely from Saturday to Sunday," he explained.

He explained that simulation of Betawi traditional wedding procession is also held at the festival, starting from palang pintu until declaration of marriage vows. "We display this simulation thus visitors can know the Betawi wedding procession and are interested to demonstrate in their own activity," he explained.

There are also 30 stands selling Betawian culinary, such as dodol (rice, coconut milk and palm sugar), kerak telor (egg and glutinous rice cake), kembang goyang cake, until bir pletok (herbal drink).

Bagus, (37), one of visitors admitted he was very happy and hope the festival could be held every year. "I am very interested in seeing gambang kromong performance or lenong, it's very entertaining. Moreover, the atmosphere is cool and its ticket price is affordable," he stated.

As known, the Betawi arts performance at Setu Babakan is firstly held on September 13, 1997. At that time, it was initiated by local residents, which is divided into four neighborhoods, namely RW 06, 07, 08, and 09. On January 20, 2001, Jakarta government finally set the event as the  Betawi Culture Preservation Village.