Location: Neglasari Village, Salawu District, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java 46185
Map: Click Here
HTM: Free
Opening hours: Every day
Telephone: –
Indonesia is indeed known for having various ethnic groups, customs and cultures in each region.
Although maybe not all of them. However, several regions in Indonesia, until now, still hold fast to every legacy of their ancestors in their respective regions.
If in Lombok there is a Sade village and in Banten there is a Badui village with its Kanekes tribe, then in Tasikmalaya, West Java there is a village which is also thick with local culture and wisdom. The village is called the village of the dragon.
Yes, the name of this village might make you remember the figure of a snake-like animal called a dragon that has wings and can spit fire from its mouth like in the movies.
However, it turns out that the naming of this village with the name of a dragon has absolutely nothing to do with the figure of this fictional animal.
The community only knows the name of their village from their predecessors without ever getting valid information about the origin of the naming. even the history of the founding of their own village, is still a mystery.
Most residents, when asked about the historical data of their village, will answer that everything related to the data or information was burned during the DI / TII rebellion in 1959.
This dragon village was indeed one of the villages that DI / TII rebels burned down because they did not accept the refusal of the population against their desire to establish an Islamic state.
But behind that lack of information. Actually there is a story that we can take as an initial clue about the founding of the dragon village. This story is closely related to the history of the spread of Islam by saints in the archipelago.
It is said that long ago when syeh syarif hidayatullah or better known as sunan gunung teak was still alive and spreading Islam. He has a student named Singaparana who is assigned to preach to the west.
On the way of his preaching. Singaparana then stopped at a village called village neglasari. And while in his stopover, he received instructions to establish a settlement which is now known as the dragon village.
Regardless of whether the singaparana story is true or not. However, the fact is that next to this village there is a tomb which is believed to be a Singaparana tomb.
The location of the dragon village
Kampung Naga is located in a valley of 1.5 hectares in Neglasari Village, Salawu District, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java. It is located adjacent to the highway that connects the city of Garut and the city of Tasikmalaya.
From downtown Tasikmalaya. We only need about an hour and a half to arrive at the location. the exact distance is about 30 kilometers.
As for the topography of the area where the Dragon Village was founded in the form of hills, most of the area is used as residential land, yards and rice fields for residents.
Customs and local wisdom
Even though it is located not far from the city center of Tasikmalaya, the people of the Naga village are still very good at maintaining the customs and local wisdom passed down by their ancestors.
In carrying out daily life. They also refrain from doing things that are against their customs and culture.
A small example is their habit in building a place to live. Here, we will never find a house building made of brick, ceramic or marble.
All the houses here should be built a little over one meter above the ground. Clapboard and roof woven coconut leaves. The direction of the house must also face north and there should be no parallel doors.
It may seem strange to us. But herein lies the uniqueness of the dragon village in addition to its other uniqueness.
Tourist destination
When he arrived at the village entrance. We will not find a single sign or signboard reading tourist locations.
Because in fact, this village is not a tourist attraction. It is just a village that has become famous for its customs and culture which are still very thick.
The inhabitants of the dragon village always refuse to mention their village as a tourist location. The reason is because they do not want the customs and culture in their village to be polluted.
But even so, nowadays when there are holidays, the Dragon Village is always visited by tourists who want to know more about this place. Many also came because they wanted to see the rituals performed by the villagers.
For this purpose society does not prohibit. It’s just that visitors are required to respect and follow the rules that are applied here.
The route to the location
If you are interested in visiting the dragon village. To get there, you can travel via the following route.
Assuming that you come from Jakarta, the route you have to take is to start the journey from the Jakarta toll road to Cikampek.
Then from the Cilunyi toll gate, you continue towards the direction of arrowroot through Nagreg. From arrowroot, continue your journey to Cilawu then to the location of the dragon village.
Meanwhile, if you come from Bandung. So the route you can take is from Chile to Rancaekek, then to Garut City via Nagreg. Now from the city of arrowroot, you just have to continue the journey towards Cilawu and end it at the location of the dragon village.
Price of admission
Because this dragon village is not a tourist location, at least for now you are free to come anytime without buying an entrance ticket. Only if you want, you can contribute to the income of the residents by buying souvenirs in the form of souvenirs typical of Dragon Village.
Tips for traveling
Before visiting the dragon village, it’s a good idea to prepare or consider some of the tips below.
- When visiting, try to use the services of a guide or guide. If necessary, choose a guide who is a native of the dragon village. This is intended so that you do not violate village customs or culture.
- If you want to spend the night. So beforehand you must have asked permission from long ago. When staying overnight, try to always maintain politeness and never break the rules.
- Don’t forget to fully charge your cellphone battery before visiting. Because even though it is in an urban area, there is no electricity in this village.
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