Surakarta, mostly known colloquially as Solo, is a city with a rich cultural heritage in Central Java. Solo is considered as one of the centers of Javanese culture. Solo is also one of the centers of Batik, a traditional cloth dyeing. To celebrate that, this city organizes Solo Batik Carnival every year since 2008.
Baca juga : Pulau Lengkuas Belitung, Keindahan Alami dengan Mercusuar Antik
Solo Batik Carnival is included in one of the 100 most important tourism events in Indonesia. As the name implies, it is indeed a carnival of batik. So it was, initially. Starting from this year, the carnival will cover more than just batik in Indonesia, but also in all of ASEAN countries.
When and where
Solo Batik Carnival 2019 will be held in Stadion R. Maladi Sriwedari Benteng Vastenburg, Solo. The stadium is located in the center of the city, access should be really easy. Additionally, the carnival will commence from July 27th. It is a long march from the stadium to the city hall.
11 Southeast Asia Countries
There will be a radical change in the event, also starting from this year’s edition. Usually, the carnival was about Indonesian cultures and costumes. However, this year, the organizers invite 10 ASEAN countries to participate in this event. This will bring even more diversity to this carnival. You can indeed expect more participants with more interesting costumes and cultures.
The theme
This year’s edition theme is broader than just batik or Solo. It indeed covers all of the Southeast Asian countries. The theme is ‘Suvarna Bhumi the golden of ASEAN. Suvarna Bhumi means ‘golden countries’ which are highly sought after. The slogan for each country are:
- Indonesia (Wonderful Indonesia)
- Filipina (Kay Ganda Philippines)
- Malaysia (Truly Asia)
- Myanmar (Myanmar, Be Enchanted)
- Brunei Darussalam (The Green Heart of Borneo)
- Laos (Laos, Simply Beautiful)
- Vietnam (Vietnam, Timeless Charm)
- Cambodia (Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder)
- Timor Leste (Being First Has Its Rewards)
- Thailand (Amazing Thailand)
- Singapore (Passion Made Possible).
History
Solo is one of the centers of Batik in Java. For instance, Laweyan and Kauman are the two kampongs that produce popular high-quality batiks from this city. To celebrate that, as well as promoting tourism in this city, they organize an annual carnival. This carnival inaugurated in 2008 when Solo was led by the current President of Indonesia; Joko Widodo. It has also developed well and got better and better every year.
Solo Batik Carnival 2019 would be perfect even for you to enjoy the rich culture. Not only from Solo, but you can also see the cultural heritage of the Southeast Asian Countries. Next