Preserving River Culture in Banjar

The Banjar regency government held the Lok Baintan Floating Market Festival to preserve the cultural heritage of the Martapura River in South Kalimantan.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Hundreds of traders take part in the 2019 Lok Baintan Floating Market Charm Festival on the Martapura River, around the pier of the Sungai Pinang Bridge, Sungai Tabuk district, Banjar regency, South Kalimantan, on Sunday (17/11/2019). This annual festival is held to help preserve and the Lok Baintan Floating Market and promote it as a cultural tourist attraction.

MARTAPURA, KOMPAS – The authenticity of the Lok Baintan Floating Market is maintained well in Banjar regency, South Kalimantan. The Banjar culture and tourism office held the annual Lok Baintan Market Charm Festival on Sunday (17/11/2019) to preserve the Martapura River culture of the Banjar people.

The festival was centered at the Sungai Pinang Bridge in Sungai Tabuk district, about 4 kilometers upstream of the Lok Baintan Floating Market.

Hundreds of the market’s daily traders, who use jukung (wooden outrigger canoes) to peddle their wares, enlivened this year\'s festival, with their uniquely and attractively decorated jukung. They started gathering at the site of the festival as early as 4:30 a.m.

Hajah Usnah, 50, a floating market trader, said that the festival motivated traders to present unique and interesting merchandise. Usnah displayed atop her jukung a cradle used in the baayun maulid tradition, rocking a baby while reciting maulid (poetic verses that celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad), as well as floral decorations.

The festival judges named Usnah the winner of the jukung decoration contest. "This festival is good for encouraging bibi-bibi (aunties) who trade at the floating market," she said.

The activity is expected to increase tourist arrivals from both within the archipelago and abroad.

Another trader, Hajah Masitah, 40, said that the festival drew many people to visit Lok Baintan Floating Market and benefited the traders. "If many people come, our merchandise will also sell well," said Masitah, who won second place in the jukung decoration contest.

Banjar culture and tourism office head Haris Rifani said that the festival aimed to preserve and promote Lok Baintan Floating Market, which remained unchanged since its establishment.

"The activity is expected to increase tourist arrivals from both within the archipelago and abroad," he said.

This year\'s festival was themed "Capturing the Spirit of Tradition" and involved by 558 Lok Baintan traders. The festival held a number of competitions, including a tanglong jukung (lantern) contest, a jukung contest, a photography contest and a jukung formation contest.

The competitions offered a combined total of Rp 51.6 million in prizes. "With the Lok Baintan Floating Market Festival, we also want to tell the people that Banjar regency is a safe, comfortable place, and has potential in investment and travel," said Haris.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Traders decorate their boats to take part in the 2019 Lok Baintan Floating Market Charm Festival on the Martapura River, around the pier of Sungai Pinang Bridge in Sungai Tabuk district, Banjar regency, South Kalimantan, on Sunday (17/11/2019). This annual festival is held to help preserve and the Lok Baintan Floating Market and promote it as a cultural tourist attraction.

Cultural heritage

Banjar regent K.H. Khalilurrahman said that the culture of the local people was inseparable from the river. In Banjar, the river was not only a means of transportation, but also a source of livelihood.

Banjar had long maintained a floating market and river culture on the Martapura River. "The unique Lok Baintan Floating Market was recently named as an intangible cultural heritage and received a certificate from the Education and Culture Ministry. As a cultural heritage, the Lok Baintan Floating Market must be maintained and preserved as a legacy for future generations," said Khalilurrahman.

Lok Baintan Floating Market Festival also reminded all people of the importance of preserving the river. "We are all responsible for keeping the river clean from household waste. Thus, the river can remain a means of transportation and the driver of the community\'s economy," he added.

We are all responsible for keeping the river clean from household waste.

Banjar artist Mukhlis Maman said that trading on jukung was a long-maintained tradition of the Banjar people in the Martapura river basin. Lok Baintan Floating Market had long been the center of trade in agricultural products from nearby villages.

Mukhlis said that the floating market could erode over time if no serious efforts were made to preserve it. This had already occurred with the Kuin Floating Market in Banjarmasin, which was now quiet.

"The community had maintained their tradition of trading at floating markets for generations. It needs the government’s support to continue regenerating traders," he said.