Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

Cultural Immersion Day, an event to introduce Indonesian culture, especially Yogyakarta to international students studying at FEB UGM. After a long absence, the Cultural Immersion Day was again held on Saturday (17/09) at the Tourism Village of Kembangarum (Dewi Kembar) and the Lava Tour of Mount Merapi.

The first goal of this activity is the Tourism Village of Kembangarum or known as Dewi Kembar. This village is located in the Kalurahan Donokerto area, Kapanewon Turi, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. In addition to its natural beauty, Dewi Kembar is also known for its educational tours. When they first arrived at Dewi Kembar, participants were greeted by residents using Javanese musical instruments and led to the main location. Participants were also served traditional village food.

After that, participants were introduced and taught how to make batik. Three types of batik can be done, namely written batik, stamped batik, and abstract batik. Written batik in this village still uses cantrik. Meanwhile, stamped batik uses hot wax which is then colored. Participants are welcome to explore how to make batik there. The results of the batik made can also be taken home as a memento.

Next, participants are invited to dance the lumping horse dance. The dance is accompanied by gamelan musical instruments consisting of bonang, gong, saron, kenong, drums, and demung. Participants are also allowed to play musical instruments to attend the dance. By practicing directly, international students will gain insight into the culture of Yogyakarta.

The second objective of Cultural Immersion Day is the Lava Tour Jeep Merapi. Participants are divided into several groups according to the capacity of the jeep. The first stop of the lava tour is the Rest of Hartaku Museum which is a museum left by residents due to the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi. Inside the museum, there are pictures showing photos before and after the disaster. There are also leftovers for residents such as clothes, cutlery, sewing machines, utensils, cooking utensils, and much more.

The next location is Alien Stone Tour. The tour starts from a large rock which is a chunk of volcanic rock resulting from the eruption of Mount Merapi. However, there is a complete facial texture when viewed up close. The last destination is the Kali Kuning Wet Trek which is located on the slopes of Mount Merapi. Kali Kuning is a lava tour destination where participants are presented with attractions using a jeep to go along the river at high speed. The river walk in Kali Kuning is also the closing of the cultural immersion day FEB UGM.

Reportage: Merisa Anggraini