Participants of the Summer Course 2024 visited Nglanggeran Tourism Village, Patuk District, Gunung Kidul Regency on Friday (07/19/2024). This visit was conducted for the best practice study through educational and touristic activities. The first activity was batik mask drawing using canting. Participants were invited to directly practice drawing motifs on the mask, using a canting to apply wax on the existing patterns, followed by the process of soaking the batik mask to allow the colors to penetrate optimally. The uniqueness of batik in Nglanggeran lies in its motifs, particularly the floral motifs considered iconic due to its proximity to the Ancient Volcano, complemented by its adoption in the village renowned for its cocoa or chocolate production. This activity took place at Griya Batik Nglanggeran, accompanied by guidance from the female managers. The aim of this activity was for Summer Course participants to tour while gaining education on various customs and cultures in Indonesia, particularly in Nglanggeran, Gunung Kidul, DI Yogyakarta.
The next activity was an educational session on making food products based on cocoa or chocolate at Griya Coklat Nglanggeran. One reason for using cocoa as the main ingredient is Nglanggeran’s strong agricultural potential for cocoa. Nglanggeran Village has various potentials that significantly enhance the local economy. In terms of community empowerment, Nglanggeran Village has initiated cocoa management as one of the raw materials for food processing, such as chocolate dodol, chocolate bakpia, banana chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and banana peel crackers. This can be a supporting factor for the local economy, especially through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) product creativity. Therefore, this effort can create job opportunities through community empowerment, especially for women. In terms of tourism, Nglanggeran Village offers several tourist attractions, such as Ancient Volcano, Nglanggeran Embung to Seasonal Waterfall Kedung Kendang.
Not only did the participants receive education on batik masks and cocoa production, but the final activity was a climb up Ancient Volcano. This mountain is renowned for its high historical value as a former active volcano that existed tens of millions of years ago, now dormant and known as a dead volcano. Along the climb, participants were treated to various unique spots with rich historical stories, such as the cave squeezed by rocks named Song Gudel or cave of the calf, and the Blowpipe Corridor, estimated at 50 meters long, which divides ancient rocks and can only be passed by one person at a time. These various activities aimed to learn about and preserve culture, develop skills in the arts, enhance creativity, and appreciate every culture and tradition in Indonesia.
Author: Nur Albania