Brilio.net/en - The annual Jogja International Heritage Walk (JIHW) will be returning to Indonesia's cultural center this weekend, taking participants around popular cultural sites with tracks that will stretch five, 10, and 20 kilometers.
Held for the eight time this year, the event will take place on November 19 to 20, covering the Prambanan Temple on the first day and Imogiri on the second day.
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If you're looking for something cool to do in Jogja for the weekend, here's why the event will be perfect for you:
1. It is the only one in Southeast Asia.
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After its first four years,JIHW was officially established as the 27th member of International Marching League (IML) on May 7, 2013 in Chantonnay, France. Thismakes Indonesia the only country in Southeast Asia to be the member of IML.
JIHW will also soon be a member of the International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV), which plans to hold a triathlon in November 2018.
2. It's a great way to see these heritagesites.
The Prambanan Temple, the biggest Hindu temple in Indonesia, is a UNESCO world heritage site and is one of the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, Imogiri is one of the cemetery compounds of the New Mataram Kingdom that was built by the biggest king of Mataram, Sultan Agung. Imogiri is home to a beautiful natural panorama and astonishing hills and rice field terraces.
3. The event is as much about exploring on your own two feet as it is about being introduced to the local culture.
Organized by Jogja Walking Association, the event carries themotto"Save The Nature, Respect The Culture", a concept that highlights healthy and green living, education, communication, tourism, and economic value for the locals, especially local businesses around Prambanan and Imogiri.
The event will also include the planting of 1,000 trees in the Karang Tengah valley, Bantul, which is hoped to help inspire awareness on environmental issues among locals.
4. There are plenty of other cool cultural events to check out.
Aside fromhealth benefits, tourists will also be able to immerse themselves in Yogyakarta's culture, with performances by local artists and activities such as batik making.
In Imogiri, a "weaving for life" event and "canting for life" event will be held to educate tourists on these local arts, along with drawing competitions and a marching band performance.
5. There will be routes for children.
The event is also bound to spoil children. While parents are encouraged to take the five, 10, and 20-kilometer tracks, shorter tracks of 1.5 and three kilometers in Prambanan as well as a two-kilometer track in Imogiri are available for kids.
They are also more than welcome to et busy with traditional children games, parades, basic batik making classes, traditional toy-making workshops, an introduction to organic farming, and many others.
6. More than 300 foreigners from 20 countries will be participating.
This year's JIHW this year will have more than 300 international participants from 20 different countries. They will compete with thousands of local participants through the heritage routes in both Prambanan and Imogiri. The event aims to attract 2,500 to 3,000 people in total this year.
For more information,check out their official website jogjaheritagewalk.com.