Gending Sriwijaya dance with golden fingernails, Liwa, West Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Lampung is the southern most province of Sumatra, bordering the Sunda Strait. West Lampung borders the ocean to the west of Sumatra, with its capitol at Liwa. It is known for Kopi Luwak, gum from the Damar tree (Shorea javanica) and textiles. The tourism is primarily centered around surfing in the vicinity of Krui. Gending Sriwijaya is the official music of South Sumatra that celebrates the grandeur of its ancient past. Sriwijaya was a Buddhist kingdom in South Sumatra and the earliest historical record of its existence dates back to the 7th century. The Gending Sriwijaya song was written during the Japanese occupation of Sumatra and, after a period of being banned under President Soeharto, it is now used to accompany a welcoming dance (tari tanggai) for visiting dignitaries. According to protocol, 5 dancers are used for welcoming regional heads, 7 dancers for provincial governors, and 9 dancers for heads of state, including the President of Indonesia. In this photo shows the traditional the long golden finger nails attached to each of the dancer's fingers.
Size: 2400px × 3600px
Location: Liwa, West Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Photo credit: © Terry Allen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: armbands, betel, big, box, dance, dancer, dignitaries, dress, fingernails, gending, gold, head, house, indonesia, lampung, liwa, nut, sash, songket, sumatra, swiwijawa, traditional, west
