Pacu Jalur

Pacu Jalur
The Pacu Jalur took place in Indragiri River, c. 1900s (photo extracted from the digital collection of The Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies)
Nicknames
  • Pacu Jalua (in Minangkabau)
  • Pachu Jalugh (in Minangkabau)
  • Patjoe Djaloer (in Petjo)
  • Pacu Perahu (in Indonesian)
  • Kanorace van Koeantan (in Dutch)
  • Kanorace op de Batang Koeantan (in Dutch)
  • Kanorace op de Inderagiri (in Dutch)
  • Kuansing Boat Festival
First playedc. 1600s (17th century CE)
Characteristics
Team membersTeams
Mixed-sexYes
Presence
Country or regionIndonesia (Kuantan Singingi)

Pacu Jalur (puh-tCHOO-juh-LOOR, also spelt as Pacu Jalua, Pachu Jalugh, or Patjoe Djaloer) is a traditional cultural Minangkabau boat race originated from the Central-Western Sumatran region of Kuantan Singingi (colloquially also known as Kuansing) on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Pacu Jalur is held annually in the river of Batang Kuantan under the Pacu Jalur Festival series of events, it is the largest annual festival for the local communities (especially in the capital district of Taluk Kuantan) for hundreds of years.[1]

The dancers representing the Pacu Jalur rowers, wearing a Kuansing Minangkabau commoners cultural clothing, the women braided with Marawa ('Minangkabau tricolors').

Since 2014, the traditions, knowledge, cultural customs, biocentrism awareness, and the practices of Pacu Jalur officially recognized and regarded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Republic Indonesia as integral part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia.[2] As the effort to preserve these cultural heritage, the government of Indonesia support the Pacu Jalur Festival which held annually in Kuantan Singingi and promote its importance for the wider public both nationwide and international, the winner team of Pacu Jalur usually will also have a chance to be elected as the national athlete of Indonesia to represent Indonesia in the international boat racing events.

In 2022, the Pacu Jalur art (illustrated by a Bandung-based Sundanese artist, Wastana Haikal) was selected as Google Doodle, it was a special alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate the Indonesian Independence Day celebrated on August 17 annually.[3]

  1. ^ "Pacu Jalur". Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Diplomacy of the Republic of Indonesia. Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Republic Indonesia. 2015.
  2. ^ "Pacu Jalur". Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Republic Indonesia. 2014.
  3. ^ "Indonesia Independence Day 2022". www.google.com. Google. 2022.