Asia-Africa Carnival 2016

Tue, August 23, 2016 / 09:48 pm

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People stand waiting in front of the Merdeka Building for carnival participants to pass by in their colorful costumes in Bandung on Aug. 14. The building was the venue of the Asia-Africa Conference in 1955. JP/Arya Dipa
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Thousands of people crowd Jl. Asia Africa in Bandung to see and take pictures of the carnival on Sunday, Aug. 14. JP/Arya Dipa
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Performers dance the rampak kendang before the opening ceremony of the Asia-Africa Carnival 2016, held to mark the 61st anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung.
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A flag-hoisting team marches carrying 109 flags of countries that were invited to the 60th anniversary of the conference last year. JP/Arya Dipa
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Dancers from Singapore make the carnival more colorful. JP/Arya Dipa
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A participant wears a costume inspired by birds. Most costume competition participants were students at vocational high schools in Bandung.JP/Arya Dipa
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Participants sport accessories including bird feathers to represent the theme of the carnival. JP/Arya Dipa
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Costume competition participants display a variety of interpretations of the bird theme during the Asia Africa Carnival 2016 on Aug. 14.
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A young girl wears a majestic bird costume. JP/Arya Dipa
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A boy sits amid the crowd. JP/Arya Dipa

The Tourism Ministry and Bandung city administration teamed up last week to put on the Asia-Africa Carnival 2016 to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the conference along the historic Jl. Asia Afrika in the West Java capital.

Three foreign countries—Myanmar, Singapore and India—sent representatives to join the carnival, which attracted about 1,000 merrymakers.

The theme of the carnival was “Birds of the World”, with the men and women decked out in bird costumes around the Merdeka Building, the venue of the Asia Africa Conference in 1955.

The theme was inspired by the Garuda bird logo of the Wonderful Indonesia tourism campaign.

The committee encouraged participants to create attractive costumes using that theme, with a winner chosen subsequently.

The Asia-Africa Conference was held from April 18-24 in 1955 in Bandung. Twenty-nine foreign countries sent delegates to the conference, mostly newly independent countries. [evi]