Perang Dance of Wamena City, Papua Province
Wamena City is known for its famous Baliem Valley and several cultural performances. For those who look for an entertainment during the visit, they must watch Perang Dance (War Dance)! The dance even has become the signature of local tribes and becomes the part of FBLB or Baliem Valley Cultural Festival. No wonder, it makes Wamena and Jayawijaya Regency more famous among tourists (especially outsiders). The dance is both entertaining and meaningful, after all. Not to mention it involves more than one tribe. During the festival, moreover, it becomes merrier than before. Thus, tourists should only come at the time.
The Nuance
As mentioned before, the nuance is merry, entertaining, and meaningful. The number of dancers depends on how big the show is, though. For instance, it involves hundreds of dancers during the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival. All the dancers are male and they carry numerous traditional weapons including spears and arrows. Have no worries. The war moves are only symbolic, so dancers won’t hurt each other. As for the accompaniment, the dance involves local musical instruments like Tifa and Genderang. It sounds zestful and powerful, for sure. The purpose is to show both bravery and spirit before going to the war.
Exploring Perang Dance
Aside from the merriment, tourists are interested to watch Perang Dance due to the unique costume, worn by the dancers. They wear Papua’s traditional clothes that feature leaves and roots. Not to mention they wear an exotic headgear and other ornaments like a necklace and bracelets. As for the finishing, the dancers would paint their body using the signature pattern of Papua Province. With such uniqueness, tourists can take good photos without a doubt!
Those who want to watch Perang Dance need to learn the meaning, too, though. According to the locals, the dance represents local men’s bravery. Aside from being a traditional performance, the dance also becomes an entertainment for numerous types of events. Thus, tourists should find the right time if they want to watch it. The next thing to know is related to the history. Tourists can get the information either from villagers or tour guides. It is said the dance was done right before the real war in the past. The purpose was to boost the Warriors’ spirit and bravery.
These days, Perang Dance has become the part of Wamena City’s tourism and lured lots of tourists over time. For the best nuance, though, everyone should wait for the next Baliem Valley Cultural Festival. Not only they can see the dance, but they are able to watch other interesting traditions during the event. It is considered cost-effective, too!
Nearby Attractions
- Wamena Botanical Garden
- Mumi Jiwika
- Patung Salib Wamena
- Tirta Wijaya Temple
How to Get There
From Jayapura City, tourists can get to Wamena City by taking an airplane at Sentani Airport. This flight takes only 30 minutes, so don’t worry. For those who come from Jakarta City, though, they need to spend more than 10 hours to get there. After they arrive at Wamena, their next destination is a nearby village where the Dani Tribe lives. As an alternative, they can visit the Baliem Valley during the festival. It would be more entertaining and merrier, for sure!
Where to Stay
- Rainbow Hotel
- Cartenz Hotel
- Baliem Pilamo Hotel
