Hammock Festival Promotes Riau's Natural Beauty

PEKANBARU, Riau, May 16 (Antara) - The Hammock Festival 2017 held on May 13-14 offered the participants an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the Buluh Cina tourism village in Siak hulu District, Kampar Regency, Riau Province. The Riau Provincial Natural Resource Conservation Center, in cooperation with the local ecotourism activists, invited 100 participants from other regencies or cities outside Kampar to enjoy an overnight experience of unwinding on hammocks between the trees. Head of the Riau Provincial Environment and Forestry Office Yulwiriati Moesa supports the event as it serves as a platform to highlight the fact that forests are a source of community existence. "Buluh Cina is being managed as a tourism spot that encourages the local people to open small businesses that can support their economy. They no longer need to start plantations by burning trees," she emphasized here on Sunday. The 963.33-hectare Buluh Cina Village has a variety of flora and fauna as well as seven lakes that are sources of livelihood for the local fishermen. According to head of the village M. Ralis, the location is close to Kampar River and has the potential to be offered as a tourism package, with its natural beauty, culture, and local wisdom. Participants at the Hammock Festival were greeted by two elephants named Robin and Ngatini, a move that is expected to boost the local economy. The participants were not only looking to gain a new experience of sleeping in hammocks but also spent their leisure time listening to tales of the jungle delivered through musical poetry performances by the local children. On the second day of the event, they were introduced to the local fishing tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. By using environmentally friendly fishing gear and net, the people in Buluh Cina showcased that it was not necessary to resort to poison or blast fishing techniques. The participants were also invited to explore the forest and ride dragon boats during the festival held for the second time this year.