WNAM REPORT: Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture hosted a workshop on July 31 at the Karangkamulyan heritage site in Ciamis, West Java, focusing on the theme “Cultural diversity of East Parahyangan: Heritage for Tomorrow”.
Dian Budiyana, head of the Youth and Culture Division under the Ciamis Department of Sports and Tourism, underscored that cultural sustainability is vital for future generations. He stressed the need to maintain and utilise cultural heritage in ways that are flexible, locally relevant and aligned with the spirit of the times.
Speakers emphasised the need to preserve cultural values through various means, such as safeguarding heritage sites that embody cultural and historical significance, and maintaining and developing traditional craft villages as sustainable centres of local wisdom.
As part of the programme, participants joined a yoga session set against the backdrop of Karangkamulyan’s natural landscape. The workshop also included a guided tour of the site.
Endang Haris, head of the Ciamis tourism promotion agency, noted that cultural sites like Karangkamulyan carry not only historical value but also spiritual meaning.
He suggested that such locations could be developed into cultural health destinations, integrating traditional practices such as yoga, meditation, and local rituals as forms of physical and mental healing rooted in cultural wisdom.
Karangkamulyan, covering over 25 hectares, was a key site of the ancient Galuh Kingdom and is closely tied to the Sundanese legend of Ciung Wanara.
