Those people came from various Indonesian regions and even abroad, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and France.
This year, the annual event held from August 30 to 31 featured the flying of 900 giant traditional kites of South Kalimantan known as Dandang kites, setting an Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI) record. The previous record was set in Tapin District, South Kalimantan, with around 300 kites flown.
The festival's participants brought along their giant kites with unique designs, showcasing the distinctive characteristics of their own regions with illustrations and colors.
Shortly after the event was opened by Tanah Laut District Head Rahmat Trianto, hundreds of participants from various kite communities showed off their kites and kite-flying skills.
They flew the kites in groups, with each person having their own part: two to three people held the giant kite near the shoreline while several others gripped the string tightly and, on cue, ran as fast as they could away from the shoreline to launch it.
Kusain, a resident of Kandang Lama Village, Panyipatan Subdistrict, Tanah Laut District, is among the participants of the event. Despite being older in age, his enthusiasm did not fall short of that of the younger people there.
"The Dandang Festival is held annually, with its location moving from one village to another. The goal is to introduce this traditional game to more people," he said.
Kusain, who was accompanied by his child, brought a kite with motifs typical of the Banjar ethnic group of South Kalimantan. His team drew a Banjar figure on their kite with red and yellow as the dominant colors.
"Run, child, run!" he shouted to his child, who was trying to launch a mini-sized kite.
After hundreds of kites were successfully launched, the blue sky over the beach was decorated with a beautiful array of colorful kites.
Even though there were prizes for the top 15 picked kites, the participants chose to just relax and enjoy the atmosphere. More than the millions of rupiah in prizes, there was a bigger purpose in their participation: preserving the local tradition.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
The weight of Dandang kites varies, with a wingspan ranging from 4 to 9 meters and a length that can reach up to 10 meters. Thus, the fliers have to run dozens of meters while pulling the kite string to launch it.
This South Kalimantan traditional game originally came from the districts of Tapin and South Hulu Sungai.
Due to its uniqueness and with support from the local government's commitment to preserving it, the Dandang kite, which is nicknamed "The Flying Giant" due to its large size, has been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Indonesia in 2024, together with five other cultural heritages from South Kalimantan.
The kite has also been promoted on the global stage by a flier team from the South Hulu Sungai District through its participation in the Fanø International Kite Fliers Meeting in Fanø Island, Denmark, on June 14–21, 2025.
Economic Impact
"The Dandang Kite Festival is beyond art and cultural activity. It is a form of commitment from the regional government to boost regional tourism potential," Tanah Laut District Head Rahmat Trianto said.
Due to the high enthusiasm of the participants every year, the Dandang Kite Festival has had a concrete positive impact on the income of the local residents, especially those in the micro and small enterprises sector, from street vendors to souvenir sellers.
A meatball vendor, Muhammad Yusuf, looked enthusiastic as he parked his cart while he waited for customers near a tree. With a small towel hanging from his neck, he occasionally wiped the sweat from his forehead as he served his customers.
From selling meatballs at the festival, Yusuf, who normally only makes a profit of around Rp150 thousand (approximately US$9.11), was able to make a much higher profit, surpassing Rp600 thousand (around US$36.45).
Indeed, South Kalimantan should be proud that due to the creativity of its people, the province has gained more popularity nationally and internationally through its traditional game.
Thus, the local government continues its effort to preserve the cultural heritage by holding the kite festival every year. In this regard, Tanah Laut District Head has highlighted his commitment to setting a higher MURI record, even reaching thousands of kites.
Those who actively engage in the traditional game must also be proud of the work of the kite artists. In fact, some foreign participants at the festival even praised the unique designs of Dandang kites, which are not only large in size but also showcase ethnic and cultural identity.
Those kite artists are expected to preserve this cultural heritage and introduce it to the younger generations to ensure Dandang kites continue to fly in the sky, now and in the future.
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Translator: Tumpal Andani, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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