Indonesian festival promoting cultural exchange held in Taipei

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) Taipei Grand Mosque on Saturday hosted the inaugural "Indonesian Festival in Taiwan" to promote Indonesian culture and foster bilateral cultural exchange, drawing participants from Taiwanese and Indonesian communities.

The event, featuring a bazaar filled with around 10 Indonesian cultural stalls and food booths, was sponsored by the Taipei Grand Mosque, the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei, and the Indonesian Muslim Student Association in Taiwan.

At the very first stall upon entering the mosque, Kartika Dewi was busy teaching visitors how to make clothes using batik, a traditional Indonesian technique that involves wax-resist dyeing applied to a whole piece of cloth.

Kartika, the deputy president of the Indonesian Diaspora Network in Taiwan, said that cultural exchange through batik was something both Indonesian and Taiwanese people could enjoy doing.

"When you talk about culture, everyone from different communities can connect," she said.

Cultural exchange has a lower barrier than religious exchange, she said, adding that for example, some mosques do not allow non-Muslims to enter.

Enjoying the fun that comes with making clothes using batik, Huang Yi-ting (黃逸廷), a sophomore student majoring in Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures at National Chengchi University, said that he felt intrigued by activities organized by Indonesians in Taiwan and wanted to participate.

"I feel like the atmosphere here is great, everyone is gathering and having a good time," said the 20-year-old, who has developed an appreciation for Indonesian culture through his studies.

He said he particularly enjoys the fusion of religion, culture, and way of life in Indonesia.

Huang, who aims to work in Indonesia after graduation, told CNA that visiting Yogyakarta, a city on the island of Java, made him realize he was more suited to living in Indonesia than Taiwan due to the slow pace of life and less intense humidity.

Cheng Tai-hsiang (鄭泰祥), the chairperson of the Taipei Grand Mosque, said that as well as promoting bilateral cultural exchange, the event also aimed to show gratitude to Indonesians in Taiwan for their contributions to the local labor market.

Indonesian brothers and sisters are very important to Taiwanese society and their presence is a matter of "national security," he said, adding that without this community, "our Taiwanese family, our Taiwanese society would face a very serious problem." 

As temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius on Saturday afternoon, Rakha Ramadhana, the director of the festival's organizing committee, mentioned that the uncomfortable weather, coupled with many Indonesians being back in their country on holiday, were a few reasons why only 100 participants attended the event.