The Kampung Indonesia cultural festival, organized by the Indonesian embassy in Sweden, made its debut appearance at Putte I Parken, an annual summer festival featuring many local artists in Kungstradgarden, Stockholm.

Visitors, members of the Swedish public and wandering tourists alike, indulged their senses at the two-day Kampung Indonesia, which featured traditional Indonesian dances, musical performances by Saung Angklung Udjo, a cooking demonstration by Indonesian chef William Wongso, carnival dancers from East Java and a photo exhibition by an Indonesian travel photographer, Ebbie Febri Adrian.

At the opening of the festival on Friday, the Tourism Ministry’s international tourism promotions director, Nia Niscaya, said that there had been a significant 20 percent increase of Swedish tourists to Indonesia in 2016. “Kampung Indonesia aims to boost Indonesia’s presence as a major tourist destination for Swedes in Southeast Asia,” Nia said in a statement.

Ambassador Bagas Hapsoro mentioned that the arts diplomacy, ranging from cuisine, dance and music to folklore, will bring about inter-governmental, inter-business and inter-community connections.

One of the highlights of the event was an angklung performance that captivated the Swedish audience, as Swedes appear unfamiliar with the traditional musical instrument made of bamboo. Angklung were distributed to the audience and members were invited to play along with Saung Angklung Udjo’s main orchestra.

Bandung’s deputy mayor, Oded Muhamad Danial, who spoke at the opening event, said he believes that this approach would intrigue Swedes to learn more about Indonesia’s diverse cultures in hopes of forging a stronger bond between the countries, following King Carl XVI Gustaf’s official visit to Indonesia earlier this year.

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