Lopus Tourist Village

Cultural Gateway: The Bagondang Ritual and Guest Welcoming

The uniqueness of Lopus Tourist Village begins with how they honor visitors. Every guest who visits is not merely greeted with a welcome, but through a sacred traditional ceremony. The Bagondang ritual is the main event in every welcoming. The rhythmic sound of gongs and drums is not just music, but a spiritual communication to seek permission from the ancestors for the guests' safety during their stay in Lamandau.

During this ceremony, guests are often invited to perform Ikat Tongang, which is the tying of a special thread on the wrist as a symbol of soul protection. This experience creates a strong emotional bond between tourists and the local community, emphasizing that in Lopus, visitors are not seen as spectators, but as part of the extended Dayak Tomun family.

Architecture and Communal Spaces: Betang and the Philosophy of Togetherness

As a cultural center, the physical structure of Lopus Village reflects communal values. Although modern development has begun to enter, the presence of traditional houses and open meeting spaces is still maintained. The settlement pattern in Lopus is designed to support intense social interaction. This is where Lopus Tourist Village functions as a cultural laboratory; where the older generation passes down knowledge about traditional architecture, the use of ulin wood, and building layouts that follow the flow of rivers and forest contours.

Traditional Arts: Babukung Dance and Magical Heritage

One of the most iconic cultural attractions in Lopus Tourist Village is the Babukung Dance. This is a death ritual dance that uses distinctive masks called Luwa. However, in the context of a tourist village, Babukung has transformed into an art performance that still respects its sacred conventions.

Each Luwa mask represents a specific animal character, such as a hornbill, dragon, or monkey, each carrying a deep philosophical meaning about the relationship between humans and the fauna of the Kalimantan forests. Craftsmen in Lopus still produce these masks manually, using selected wood and natural dyes. Tourists can directly participate in mask-making educational programs, understanding that every carving is a prayer and a tribute to nature.

Besides Babukung, Lopus Village also preserves traditional martial arts and folk games like Manyipet (blowgun shooting). This blowgun shooting educational program is a favorite because it teaches agility, concentration, and the history of how the Dayak people survived and hunted in the past without damaging the ecosystem.

Crafts and Creative Economy: Weaving and Basketry

Community empowerment in Lopus Tourist Village is clearly visible in the handicraft sector. The women in this village are the guardians of rattan and bamboo weaving traditions. The products created are not just souvenirs, but functional tools used in daily life, such as Lanjung (back baskets) and traditional hats.

The uniqueness of Lopus crafts lies in their motifs, known as "Motif Dayak Tomun." These motifs are usually inspired by climbing plants and forest flowers. Tourists are offered short workshop programs to learn weaving, providing an understanding of how intricate and meticulous the process of creating a work of art from natural fibers is. This is a form of real cultural education, where the value of an item is measured by the process and philosophy behind it.

Cultural Festivals: Reviving Annual Traditions

Lopus Tourist Village hosts various important cultural events, one of which is the Festival Babukung, which reaches a regency-wide scale but is deeply rooted in this village. Additionally, there is the Harvest Festival or thanksgiving for the agricultural produce.

In these events, all villagers are involved. The younger generation takes on roles as dancers and musicians, while the elders act as traditional supervisors. These festivals are not just tourism promotion events, but internal village mechanisms to ensure that cultural heritage is not lost to time. Here, traditional music using plucked instruments like the Kecapi and percussion instruments continues to resonate, competing with modern music trends.

Cultural Education and Community Involvement

The Lopus Village Cultural Center functions as a nature school. There are informal programs where village children learn their mother tongue (Dayak Tomun language) and folklore from the elders. For tourists, "Live-in" packages are available, allowing them to stay in local homes, participate in daily activities such as rubber tapping, searching for medicinal plants in the forest, to cooking traditional cuisine like Lemang which is cooked in bamboo.

Community involvement is comprehensive through the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis). They recognize that culture is the most valuable asset. Therefore, development in Lopus pays close attention to environmental preservation; because for the Dayak Tomun people, culture and the forest are an inseparable unity.

Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Role in Local Development

Lopus Tourist Village plays a crucial role in positioning Lamandau Regency as a leading cultural tourism destination in Central Kalimantan. By maintaining its originality, Lopus proves that economic development based on tourism does not have to sacrifice local identity.

This cultural center actively documents regional songs, traditional incantations, and traditional herbal medicine techniques. These efforts are made to prevent cultural intellectual property theft and ensure that future generations still have access to their historical roots. Lopus is a successful example where tourism becomes a tool for conservation, not destruction.

Conclusion: Lopus as a Cultural Beacon

Visiting Lopus Tourist Village is a spiritual and educational journey. Here, every inch of land has a story, and every tradition has meaning. As a cultural center in Lamandau, Lopus successfully integrates the noble values of the past with the needs of the present. It is not just a place for photos, but a place to learn about the resilience of a community in maintaining its cultural dignity. For anyone who wants to understand the essence of humanity and harmonious living with nature in Kalimantan, Lopus Tourist Village is a gate that is always wide open.