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North Maluku to host historical boat parade
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An uninterrupted view of the Maluku Islands as seen from above. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he islands of the Tidore in North Maluku, home to maritime attractions and examples of heritage connected to the Dutch occupation, are set to host a boat parade on April 10.
"The Juanga Parade will be very interesting for tourists; we celebrate it to commemorate the bravery of Tidore Sultanate's Juanga armada led by Sultan Nuku when fighting against foreign colonizers," said Sultan Tidore Husain Sjah during the event to launch the Tidore Festival in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Tidore history, the sultanate's resistance against the Dutch East Indies Company in the 16th century was sparked by the firm's efforts to dominate the clove trade in the region.
Around 100 Juanga boats are to participate in the event, circling the territories of the Tidore and Ternate sultanates. "All the Juanga [boats] are owned by the Tidore people."
(Read also: Theater show about Maluku's Run Island to be performed in New York)
In addition to circling the region, the participants will conduct a napak tilas (commemoration) of the Tidore War, a ritual known as Lufu Kie.
"Through this parade, we want to revive the fighting spirit of the Tidore sultanate according to the present context, which of course is to make it a tourist attraction," said Husain.
The parade will be part of the two-day Tidore Festival that ends on April 11.
Up to 15,800 tourists visited the Tidore Islands in 2016. For this year, the city administration has set a target to attract at least 20,500 visitors. (kes)
