By
Peter Solo Kinjap
THE
2015 Mt. Hagen Cultural Show is set to come alive in the third week of August
on the weekend from 15th to 16th. The annual event will
bring alive some of the dying cultures such as the Kurware Cultural dance by Gaim Engawal tribe from Lower Kaguel in
the Tambul Nebilyer District, Western Highlands Province. Gaim Engawal’s Kurware cultural dance have died out
some years ago but in recent months it was revived to stage its first show at
the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture in Mt. Hagen between
28th June to 11th July last year. The second appearance
after some of years of desertion is going to be at Mt. Hagen Cultural Show,”
Show Committee Executive Officer Gabriel Kuntina said.
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| Muyen Cultural dancers from Kandep District
in the Enga Province. The group was one of the eye catching cultural performers at the
last year’s (2014) Mt. Hagen Cultural Show at Rabiamul Oval. They will be performing their unique dance this year at the upcoming Mt.
Hagen Cultural festival in August. Photos courtesy of Max Mal |
Mt. Hagen is the third largest
city in PNG located in the fertile Wahgi Valley where the
World Cultural Heritage listed Kuk Archaeological Site was discovered some 7,000 years
ago continuous land cultivation and possibly 10,000 years time span. At Kuk,
the evidence of digging ditches with wooden tools were from 4,000 BP to present
time. While in Mt. Hagen city, you will
also find the following: World renown Baiyer River Bird Sanctuary since 1968,
the Ancient Scared Sites of Amb Kur (Female Spirit) and Kor Wop (Male Spirit) - rituals ceremonies including offering pigs and making scarifies to the Spirits ,
Ambuaswasa Stone Cave (believed to be the longest and deepest cave undiscovered),
Yuku Rock Shelter (plant microfossil analysis revealed cave occupied from
before 14,200 BP to recent times), Mt. Giluwe hiking (highest Volcanic Summit
in the Oceania region, one of the 7 Volcanic Summits in the World and the
dwelling place of New Guinea Singsing Dog (NGSD).
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| The Provincial Headquarters building being under
construction in the centre of Mt. Hagen city which will host the 2015 Mt. Hagen
Cultural Show. Pictured by Peter Kinjap. |
If you are backpacking for Mt. Hagen Cultural Show coming up in August
2015, you know you are visiting an exotic Ancient country!
 |
| Muyen Cultural dancers are from Kandep District
in the Enga Province and are one the eye catching cultural performers at the
last year’s (2014) Mt. Hagen Cultural Show at Rabiamul Oval. They will be performing this year’s (2015) Mt.
Hagen Cultural festival in August. Photos courtesy of Gabriel Kuntina (2015 Show Committee Executive Officer). |
Mt. Hagen City at a prime elevation of 1,677m above seen level, it is
linked by both land and air transport.
By airplane from Port Moresby, you have three (3) different choices to
choose from three (3) different airline companies when making a booking – Air
Niugini Ltd, Airlines PNG Ltd and Mangi Long Ples. Depending on the flight each
airline company has, you have a chance to compare their prices and seek if they
offer special flights which mostly they do. Depending on the class of air
travel services and the type and size of aircraft, you will have a quote from
the most cheapest to the next cheapest airfare.
 |
| Kurware Cultural performers from Gaim Engawal
tribe with their first appearance after many years of near extinct. Hairdress
for Kurware dancers was sold at K3, 000 for one. Gaim Engawal is the only tribe
in the Highlands to have performed this dance. They will be performing in July
at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby. Photos courtesy Gabriel Kunitna of WHP Division of Commerce,
Tourism and Culture. |
The fight from Port Moresby to Mt. Hagen takes approximately 45 minutes
to an hour. Upon arrival at Kagamuga Airport in Mt. Hagen, you have three (3)
choices of land transport to take you to your destination – public transport (PMV)
a bus service from operates from 7am to 6pm every day, private hired
vehicles/Hire Cars as troopers/station wagons and Hotel/Lodge pick-up
mini-buses available at the airport. The cheapest is the PMV transport, similar
to Taxi Services in other cities.
Mt. Hagen is connected by road, the Highlands Highway (the longest
highway in the country), to Madang, Lae, Goroka, Chimbu, Jiwaka, Wabag, Mendi ,
Tari and Kikori.
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| Hagen Central Women's Welda Cultural group. It is one of the most popular traditional dance and the icon of Mt. Hagen Cultural Show. They will be performing in the 2015 cultural event at Hagen Show. Photograph courtesy of Gabriel Kuntina. |
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| Sili Muli Cultural dancers at Mt. Hagen Cultural Show last year 2014. They will be performing again this year at Kagamuga show ground. Photo courtesy of Gabriel Kuntina. |
For your accommodation in Mt. Hagen, you have three (3) classes (types)
of accommodation to choose from – modern furnished Hotel Rooms, semi-modern
with local architectural design Lodge Rooms and a typical highlands village
Homes with friends and wantoks.
Costing for each class of accommodation varies from one to next. The cheapest
is spending your days with local villagers in their homes. You receive a
friendly Melanesian Welcome and meet exciting highlanders who proudly welcome
first-time visitors as their friends and immediately call them their wantoks.
In each class of accommodation you choose, cost of the meals ranging to
the class of accommodation. Your stay
with villagers at their homes is coupled with a highlands traditional dish and
you are part of them for dinner and breakfast at a minimum cost.
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| Sili Muli dancers from Enga Province. The photo was taken last year at Rabiamul Oval. They will be performing at the 2015 Mt. Hagen Cultural Show. Image courtesy of Gabriel Kuntina. |
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| Colourful traditional dancers from Tambul. They will performing at the upcoming 2015 Mt. Hagen Cultural Show. Photograph courtesy of Gabriel Kuntina. |
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| Western Highlands Department of Commerce, Tourism and Culture Program Manager Gabriel Kuntina in his office at Mt. Hagen. Pictured by Peter Kinjap. |
This year’s (2015) Mt. Hagen Cultural Show is planned to be bigger and
better ever. The show organizing executives are saying it will be a feast of
rich cultural festival and an agricultural show with displays of varies food
crops and related. The show committee said there are more cultural groups
registered and more will be hired to participate. They are also inviting
farmers to display their varies produces to be staged on stalls. They are
preparing early so that they secure enough funding for the show. Western
Highlands Provincial government had allowed K200, 000 for the show. The show
committee is sending out letters to various corporate sponsors for the show
which would cost about K2 million to host.
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| Maldi Cultural dancers from Tambul Nebilyer District. They will be performing at the 2015 Mt. Hagen Cultural Show. Photo courtesy of Gabriel Kuntina. |
Backpackers (and/or photo-journalists) are encouraged to contact in advance for a cheap accommodation and escorted tour.
