Sengkang/Tempe Lake

Sengkang is a medium-sized town. The city itself isn't all that interesting. There are several mosques and many are calling for prayer. It is advisable to choose a right place to pass the night not right next to a mosque, unless you really want to go to a prayer. Travellers mainly use Sengkang as a stopover on the way to or from Rantepao and a visit to the Tempe Lake. There is a central market, but that closes early. Also the few restaurants in the city close early. The city does have some interesting statues, including a plane (and right there is just 1 of the better restaurants).

The production and processing of silk is probably the most interesting what you can find in the city. Of the silkworms they make silk and wash it. If it is necessary it is also dyed and that also happens with certain patterns. Also weaving the clothes happens in the city and it is also sold there. In short the whole process. There are several places in the city where this takes place, so depending on where you are, you can ask what is the best place to visit. I went to Sempange, which is 6 kilometers outside the city and where the women weave under pole houses.

The city is situated near 2 rivers which come together there, the Walanae and the Tampangan. These rivers offer access to the Tempe Lake, which is another attraction of Sengkang. The river is crossed by a number of suspension bridges and various people live on the banks of the rivers. If you go with the boat along, you can almost literally look in the living room of these residents.

Tempe Lake itself is limited in size in the dry season, 1000 to 2000 hectares, and only 1 to 2 meters deep. In the rainy season, the lakes fills up and can then get a size of 30,000 hectares and a depth of 10 meters. The Lake was created when through a deep passage there was an open connection with the sea. Long time ago the sea level was up to 5 meters higher than now. About 2500 years ago the access to the sea was broken and it became a real Lake, which nowadays is fed by a number of rivers. Because in the dry season many of the lake dry up, the sediment makes the lake smaller. It is therefore expected that in a few centuries all of the lake is gone.

In the middle of the Lake there are manmade floating islands of water hyacinths, on which there are many (water) bird species nesting. In this way a new wetland is created. Nowadays fishing is limited here. On the Lake there are also floating villages and the people depend on fishing, these residents have to search for alternatives. So they started grow also sugar cane, water spinach and peanuts. Tourism is also a supplement to their income.

Boats regularly depart from Sengkang to the Lake. You can then pass the vegetation and various birds. It takes a little less than an hour (depending on how often you stop) to a floating village (rumah terapung). The houses are built mainly of bamboo. There is an anchor to prevent the house of floating away. In the rainy season many homes get damaged, because by the ascent of the water there are often collisions of the floating houses. You can visit a number of houses and then drink tea with fried banana.

What is striking is that children learn swimming at late age (sometimes only when they are 16), because they actually are afraid of the water. If you take a boat trip at the end of the afternoon, you can also enjoy the sunset, but keep in mind that you're sailing back in the dark. The cost for a boat are €2 to 3 per hour. An all-inclusive tour costs about €8 to €10-. In the rainy season it can be more expensive, because the lake is than bigger and the boat trip lasts longer.

In the last week of August, there is the Tapareng Maccera festival. There are boat races and the houses are decorated with flags. But there is also dance and music and the election of Ana’Dara and Kallolona (Princess and Prince). This is all part of the culture of the Boegies to which the population belongs.

First published: 06 December 2013
Last update: 06 December 2013
© A. Heeroma

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