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The Tong Tong Fair (formerly known as ''Pasar Malam Besar'') is the largest festival in the world for
Indo Indo may refer to: * Indo-, a prefix indicating India or the Indian Subcontinent * Indonesia, a country in Asia ** INDO LINES, callsign of Indonesian Airlines ** Indo people, people of mixed European and Indonesian ancestry ** Indo cuisine, fusion ...
(European-Indonesian) culture, held annually in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. In 2009 it was renamed to 'Tong Tong Fair'. Established in 1959 it is one of the oldest festivals and the fourth largest grand
fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...
in the Netherlands. It is also the annual event with the highest number of paying visitors of the Dutch city of
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
, having consistently attracted more than 100,000 visitors since 1993. The name ‘'
Pasar Malam ''Pasar malam'' ( nl, Nacht Markt or Avondmarkt) is an Indonesian and Malay word that literally means "night market" (the word comes from ''bazaar'' in Persian). A ''pasar malam'' is a street market in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapor ...
Besar’' is derived from the Indonesian/
Malay language Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi: , Rencong: ) is an Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spoken in East Timor and parts of the Philippines an ...
and literally means ‘Great Night Market’. The new name was chosen to emphasise its link with the 'Tong Tong Foundation' and its cultural mission. Another reason was to distinguish oneself from the many other fairs under the name ''pasar malam''. Every summer the fair is raised on its dedicated fairground, called the ‘Malieveld’, close to the central train station of The Hague. 22.000 m² of festival terrain and many, mostly Indo, volunteers will facilitate visitors from both the Netherlands and abroad. The festival hosts three popular food courts, a culinary theatre, many large to medium stages for performance art, workshop areas, areas for lecture and interviews, market areas, as well as specific fair areas for trading merchandise.


History

In defiance of government pressure to assimilate into Dutch society, a group of outspoken and independent Indos, organized in the so-called ‘Indies Cultural Circle’, assembled around famous Indo intellectual
Tjalie Robinson Tjalie Robinson is the main alias of the Indo (Eurasian) intellectual and writer Jan Boon (born Nijmegen, 10 January 1911; died The Hague, 22 April 1974) also known as Vincent Mahieu. His father Cornelis Boon, a Royal Netherlands East Indies Arm ...
. One of their accomplishments was the founding of the ''Pasar Malam Besar'' in 1959. Its continued success in attracting visitors of all generations and presenting a diverse and progressive programme, while preserving the centuries-old cultural ties with the Indonesian Archipelago has gone beyond their expectations. In 2003 HM Queen
Beatrix Beatrix is a Latin feminine given name, most likely derived from ''Viatrix'', a feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Viator'' which meant "voyager, traveller" and later influenced in spelling by association with the Latin word ''beatus'' or "bles ...
herself officially opened the 45th ''Pasar Malam Besar''. The royal opening was repeated in 2008 for its 50th edition, which was the last time the name ''Pasar Malam Besar'' was used. Since the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during postwar and postcol ...
and the expulsion of all Dutch citizens from the Republic of Indonesia, the consequent fall out between the Netherlands and Indonesia has led to a long freeze of political, economical and even academic and cultural relations between the 2 nations. To a degree, this has lasted well into the 21st century. The Tong Tong Fair has always attempted to rekindle and foster those relations and since the 1970s consistently invited Indonesian artisans to the event. It was here that for instance the Royal princesses of
Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
, daughters of
Pakubuwono XII Pakubuwono XII (also transliterated Pakubuwana XII; Surakarta, April 14, 1925 – Surakarta, June 11, 2004) was the twelfth Susuhunan (ruler of Surakarta) and the longest ruling of all monarchs in Surakarta history. He reigned under Japanese o ...
, performed the exclusive Serimpi dances in 1985. It was the first time in history that members of the Surakarta nobility performed these dances outside the Kraton (Royal Palace) of Solo. In 1985 the Tong Tong Fair also organised a benefit to help rebuild the Kraton of Solo, that was damaged by a fire. In 2006 the Tong Tong Fair organised a benefit to help Indonesian victims of the 2004
Tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
.


Programme


Music and dance

Two specific forms of Indo music usually take center stage.
Kroncong Kroncong (pronounced "kronchong"; id, Keroncong, nl, Krontjong) is the name of a ukulele-like instrument and an Indonesian musical style that typically makes use of the kroncong (the sound ' comes from this instrument, so the music is called ...
( nl, Krontjong, id, Keroncong) which is an age old music form, with roots in Portuguese Fado music, that developed in Indo communities around Batavia (now
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
). Classic Kroncong orchestras can still be found in both the Netherlands and Indonesia. The other typical music form is called
Indorock Indorock is a musical genre that originated in the 1950s in the Netherlands. It is a fusion of Indonesian and Western music, with roots in Kroncong (traditional Portuguese-Indonesian fusion music). The genre was invented by Indo repatriates in t ...
. It combines flamboyant showmanship and musical virtuoso, based on the American Rock and Roll idiom and has been played by Indo bands ever since the early fifties. With the participation of 3rd and 4th generation Indos, also DJ’s, Hiphoppers and urban live bands are taking their brand of Indo music to the stage at the 'Tong Tong Fair' / ‘Pasar Malam Besar’.


Food and beverage

The multi faceted Indo cuisine ( nl, Indische keuken, id, masakan Indo) is considered one of the first fusion kitchens in the world and is heavily based on the kitchens of many different Indonesian areas. The classic '' Rijsttafel'' (a Dutch word meaning `Rice-table’) is a prime example of a Eurasian culinary concept that was not prevalent in pre-colonial Indonesia. The food courts present a wide range of traditional Indonesian and Asian dishes. The culinary theatre allows visitors to share and discuss recipes and make and taste dishes. The market stalls sell fresh Asian fruit such as
durian The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. '' Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the on ...
or
manggis Mangosteen (''Garcinia mangostana''), also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivati ...
and snacks such as ''
martabak Motabbaq ( ar, مطبق) is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Bangladesh ( Mughlai par ...
'' or ''
pisang goreng A banana fritter is a fritter made by deep frying battered banana or plantain in hot oil. It is a common dish across Southeast Asia and South India,Kerala. Varieties Brunei Banana fritters are a traditional snack in Brunei, where they are cal ...
''. The abundance of food on offer attracts many visitors.


Merchandise and culture

A large section of the ‘Tong Tong Fair’ is reserved for amongst others Indonesian businesses selling their merchandise which includes antiques, Yogya or
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...
silver, furniture, batiks, wood carvings and much more. But next to the above-mentioned eye catchers the ‘Tong Tong Fair’ also offers workshops and master classes in the arts and lecture on amongst others literature, architecture and cultural research. Notable also are the comprehensive cultural delegations from specific areas in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
that are invited to participate.


Awards

The Tong Tong Fair, at that time still known as the Pasar Malam Besar, won the Promotion Award of The Hague in December 2006 in the category Tourism and Economy. This was followed in June 2007 by the prestigious Grand Prix of the National Events Awards (the ‘Oscars’ of the Dutch events industry). The Grand Prix is only awarded to events, which in terms of size, standing and allure, have become a real phenomenon. In 2008 the Tong Tong Foundation received the highest award of the city of the Hague (The Stadspenning by the municipality of The Hague).


Challenges

Notwithstanding the great number of visitors the festival attracts to this day, the greatest challenge facing it is formulating a clear vision for the future and strong strategy towards achieving its cultural mission. As the most important exhibition of
Indo Indo may refer to: * Indo-, a prefix indicating India or the Indian Subcontinent * Indonesia, a country in Asia ** INDO LINES, callsign of Indonesian Airlines ** Indo people, people of mixed European and Indonesian ancestry ** Indo cuisine, fusion ...
culture it will need to transform beyond an event of nostalgia for the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
towards a dynamic catalyst facilitating the evolution of Indo identity and culture.Cohen, Matthew, Isaac ''"The Komedie Stamboel: popular theater in colonial Indonesia, 1891-1903."'' (Publisher: Ohio University Press, 2006) P.368 See

/ref> Other modern challenges concern its potential online and multi-lingual role in social media as well as their ability to professionally register the many unique cultural activities and performances hosted.


References


Notes


External links

{{Commons category, Tong Tong Fair
Official websitePhotographic impessions 2007Video impressions 2008 Jakarta Globe Article dd May 2010.
''Holland’s Indos Celebrate Roots'' by Sie Yoe Lien (Jakarta Globe, Jakarta, May 26, 2010) Cultural festivals in the Netherlands Music festivals in the Netherlands Food and drink festivals in the Netherlands Malay words and phrases Indo people Recurring events established in 1959 1959 establishments in the Netherlands Indonesian words and phrases Festivals established in 1959 Summer events in the Netherlands