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Papua to host Biak Munara Wampasi Festival in July
The people of Biak, Papua, will mark the beginning of July with the Biak Munara Wampasi (BMW) Cultural Festival that will be held for four days from July 1 to 4.
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A beach in Cenderawasih Bay on the island of Biak, off the northern coast of Papua. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he people of Biak, Papua will mark the beginning of July with the Biak Munara Wampasi (BMW) Cultural Festival that will be held for four days from July 1 to 4.
The festival will feature plenty of activities such as fishing, apen byaren (walking on hot rocks) cultural attractions, a traditional Waimansusu boat competition, an underwater photo competition and a tour to the Padaido Islands.
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Thirty-nine people have already signed up for the underwater photo competition that will be conducted for five days, which means the participants will get to go diving five times to capture the best underwater photos.
Locations for the competition will be from Catalina Wreck, Wundi Island , Small Rurbas Island, Barracuda Point to Owi Island.
“Not only that, participants will join the Land Tour to three tourist attractions that we’ve already prepared: Japanese Cave, the World War II Monument and Five Chambers Cave,” said Biak tourism department head Turbey Ony Dangeubun.
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Runners can also take part in the festival by joining the Biak 10k International race. “The track is very challengin;, at one point they will pass through the cross-border area of Papua Nugini,” Dangeubun added
Biak Numfor regency has a story of its own. In the beginning, the Sultanate of Tidore ruled over the place, then it became a battlefield during World War II. On May 29, 1944, United States military bombarded the place and in 2005 the Russian government wanted to make Biak the location for rocket launches because of its strategic location. (asw)
