KUCHING: The Gedong Festival is back after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be held at Gedong town on July 28 to 30, said the Premier’s special representative, Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, who expects the festival to draw some 100,000 visitors.
“The purpose of the Gedong Festival is also to promote Gedong as a new district that can compete and be on par with other districts, especially nearby districts such as Simunjan and Serian.
“The Gedong District was created through the Simunjan District Office in 2022 divided into three Zones namely the Hulu Gedong Zone, the Gedong Proper Zone and the Gedong Pangkor Zone with an area of 661.64 square km (65 villages including unrecognized ones) and inhabited by a total of 14,424 people based on the 2021 village profile,” he said in at a press conference at the Raia Hotel & Convention Centre here yesterday.
The Gedong Festival is also seen to be able to create good interaction between the multi-racial community, elevate the Gedong District as a destination for festivals and Regatta sports in Sarawak, promote the diversity of products, especially handicraft products and highlight the uniqueness of the community’s traditional heritage, making Gedong District a domestic tourism destination in Sarawak.
“The Gedong Festival which focuses on entertainment for the people in the will increase the solidarity and support of the people for whatever government policy implemented in the area.
A list of 32 activities has been drawn up for the festival. It includes Pantey rowing competition, Gedong regatta, decorated raft competition, fishing competition, battle of the band, karaoke competition, Mr Body Fitness competition, Miss Gedong Festival pageant, Nopeng/Drumming competition, e-sport championship, children’s digital colouring competition, educational talk, and many more.
