he opening event of Tour de Singkarak 2017 was held on the evening of Nov. 17 at Istano Basa Pagaruyung, Batusangkar, Tanah Datar Regency, featuring performances of Minangtraditional dance and singer Armand Maulana.
During his performance, Armand sang some of his new singles such as “Sebelah Mata” (Just One Eye) and “Hanya Engkau Yang Bisa” (Only You Can).
Tanah Datar Deputy Regent Zuldafri Darma said that the sports event will help promote Tanah Datar that has several interesting tourist destinations like Batusangkar City. It is a cultural icon in West Sumatra Province because it is believed that this is where Minangkabau Tribe was first established.
“This is the birthplace of Basandi Syarak tradition that then became the life motto of the Minang people,” said Zuldafri.
Another tourist attraction here is Pagaruyuang Castle at Kenagarian Pagaruyung, Tanjung Emas District.
“This castle is decorated with carvings with each color representing the history and culture of Minangkabau. You can experience being a [traditional] bride here for a day by wearing the traditional outfit of Minangkabau,” he added.
Tanah Datar is located 100,9 kilometers away, or two and a half hours, from Padang. In the area lies a tourist village called Nagari Tuo Pariangan that is situated on the foothill of Mount Merapi, around 13 kilometers from Batusangkar City. The village was listed in the top five most beautiful villages in the world by an international travel publication in 2012.
TdS has been dubbed as the biggest sports tourism event, the cycling race will start from Batusangkar city then continues to Tanah Datar regency and finish at Bukittinggi city.
Up to 20 teams from 30 countries are going to tackle nine laps with a total distance of 1,097 kilometers. Winners will be awarded a total prize of Rp 3 billion (US$222,000).
TdS was first held in 2009 and has become a mandatory championship in Asia that is able to attract more than one million visitors. In the Union Cycling International (UCI) calendar, TdS is listed in the Asia Tour 2.2 category. (asw)
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