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Banda People Festival 2017 highlights history of spices
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Dark reflection: The Banda Islands are volcanic mountains towering eternally above the sea. (Courtesy of Lifelike Picture)
Banda People Festival 2017 that has been running since Oct. 11 will hold its closing event Nov. 11.
The festival features plenty of shows such as carnival, music, theater and dance performances, culinary and handicraft exhibition, writing class and historical dialogue.
Themed "Banda People’s Party 2017", the festival is being held to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Breda Treaty. During that time, the Dutch removed their authority over what is now known as the Manhattan Island in exchange for Run Island, as their mission was to monopolize the global spice trade.
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“One of Banda Neira’s biggest assets is spices; the history of Indonesian civilization has recorded that spices are an important part in the formation of the world's civilization. This is one of the things that we want to highlight in Indonesian tourism,” said Tourism Ministry’s archipelago tourism marketing development deputy Esthy Reko Astuti.
Apart from spices, Banda Neira has plenty of tourist attractions such as Independence Monument, Belgica Castle and Nassau Castle Hallway.
The island is also known for its 30 world-class diving spots and home of plenty of fish species ranging from tuna to hammerhead shark. (kes)
