Pacu Line Has Been Registered As A Cultural Heritage From Riau

JAKARTA - The Pacu Jalan tradition is a long boat racing competition typical of the people of Kuantan Singingi Regency, Riau. More than just a competition, Pacu Jalan is a manifestation of cultural values, teamwork, and the spirit of mutual cooperation.

This event not only attracted the interest of the local community, but is now starting to steal the attention of the national and even international public, especially after many of its competition footage became a trend on social media.

Responding to the increasing exposure to this culture, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said that the Pacu Line has been officially recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB) by the government. He emphasized that this recognition shows the importance of preserving Indonesia's traditional wealth.

"The Pacu Line activity has been recorded as an Indonesian intangible cultural heritage. The listing has been done by the Ministry of Culture for a long time," said Fadli Zon when met in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA.

He explained that Pacu Jalan is not just a rowing competition, but also contains elements of performing arts. One of them can be seen from the actions of the team members who dance on the boat when the boat is traveling at high speed.

"The dance movement on the boat is very expressive and requires a high balance. They adjust the movement to the rhythm of the race, thus creating dynamic and entertaining performances," said Fadli.

According to him, it is this organic and attractive element that makes the Pacu Line unique. It's not easy to perform an energyful dance at the end of a narrow boat and keep moving.

Fadli also expressed his appreciation to all parties who have helped introduce the tradition of Pacu Paths to the wider community, especially through digital platforms such as TikTok, which has recently made this culture increasingly known to the younger generation.

"We must be grateful to the community, content creators, and the cultural community who use social media to spread our cultural wealth. This greatly helps the preservation and introduction of the archipelago culture globally," he concluded.