The Consulate General of Indonesia in San Francisco, supported by the Yayasan Warisan Budaya Indonesia (WBI), hosted an event promoting the Toraja region titled “Exploring the Art, Ritual, and Society of the Toraja in Indonesia” at Wisma Indonesia – San Francisco on April 29, 2023. The event attracted foreign partners, academics, researchers, cultural figures, historians, diplomats, businesspeople, and local American artists.
Consul General Prasetyo Hadi emphasized Indonesia’s diverse and enduring cultural heritage as an important asset for attracting foreign tourists. Kathleen M. Adams, Ph.D., an American anthropologist and Professor Emeritus at the Loyola University of Chicago and the University of London, presented her fascination with Toraja’s traditional ‘Tongkonan’ houses and megalithic culture. Adams highlighted the community’s efforts to preserve and utilize these unique traditions for tourism and economic benefits.
Attendees enjoyed traditional Indonesian and Toraja dishes and admired textile and traditional Toraja cloth exhibits. They sipped on the famous Toraja Arabica coffee, known for its unique spiced flavor, thick texture, and acidity. The Consulate stressed the importance of involving foreign experts and local Americans to increase awareness and appreciation of Indonesia’s rich multicultural heritage.
The event is part of a series of thematic cultural and tourism diplomacy programs initiated in 2022. The Indonesian Consulate General in San Francisco has organized various cultural events, including Wayang Golek, Gamelan, and Pasundan Culinary (San Francisco, October 22, 2022), conservation tourism promotion and education for Komodo and Orangutans (San Francisco Zoo, November 18, 2022), and Wayang Kulit and Javanese Theatrical Arts (UC Berkeley, April 16, 2023).
