Open the Menongkah Festival, Inhil Regent Hopes to Attract Foreign Tourists

News24xx.com - Regent of Indragiri Hilir (Inhil) HM Wardan opened the 2019 Menongkah Festival, in Tanjung Pasir Village, Tanah Merah District, Saturday 16 November 2019.

This annual festival was also attended by invited guests from Malaysia and Singapore, Head of Disparporabud Inhil, Junaidi, Inhil DPRD Members, Hasanuddin, Forkopimda Inhil and the ranks of the Village Government.

"Menongkah is a technique of the Duanu people in Tanjung Pasir Village in looking for shells in the mud desert by using a surfboard," explained the Regent in his remarks.

According to the Regent, the Regional Government of Indragiri Hilir Regency through the Department of Tourism, Youth and Sports and Culture continues to pay attention to this Menongkah culture.

"We continue to strive to make it as one of the cultural tourism that attracts foreign tourists, so that later it can lift the tourism sector in Indragiri Hilir," said the Regent.

HM Wardan said, this Menongkah tradition is the ancestral tradition of the Duanu people, and this is a tourist event in Inhil Regency which has become a tourist calendar in Riau Province.

In addition, the Regent also mentioned, in 2018, the Menongkah Culture conducted by the Duanu Tribe had received an award from the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI), with the category of Bulk Chopping involving more than 500 participants and mud bathing activities with the most participants in August Last 2016. "That achievement should continue to be maintained and improved," he said.

Furthermore, HM Wardan also said that the other purpose of the Menongkah festival was to maintain the existence of the traditional culture of the Duanu people so that it would not be extinct.

To note, at this Festival performance, various competitions were also held such as the Menongkah, Merampah and Mud Jump competitions.