Gasing (Giant Top Spining)

Gasing or (Giant top spinning) is a popular traditional game played in Terengganu and Kelantan. Yet it is no child's play as each gasing may weight as heavy as 5kg. The size too may be as big as a dinner plate. Which explains why most of the players are adult men or young men, as hurling the gasing using a piece of rope wound around the gasing requires strength, coordination and skill to ensure that the gasing remains spinning for the longest time.

The gasing is made out of  a fine piece of hardwood such as merbau, keranji or cengal . The wood is then left to dry naturally before it is shaped into a discus. A good gasing  needs to be properly grooved and perfectly  symmetrical in order to enable it to spin for a long time.

Gasing competitions are an annual feature in the east coast. These annual competitions help  the younger generation  to preserve  the gasing as a proud heritage. In  Wakaf Changak, Batu Rakit, Terengganu the gasing competitions are an annual affair that create lots of excitement and frenzy among the viewers and the participants as they watch  the gasing spin round and round, sometimes as long as 3 hours.

Terengganu Wood Carving

The Terengganu woodcarvers are well known and reputed in creating beautiful works of art made out of high quality hardwood. Many of the woodcarvings are found in houses, old palaces, beams, doorways, window shutters, traditional boats, bed frames, and  pieces of furniture. As carving human figures is totally prohibited in Islam, the Terengganu woodcarving is inspired from flora and fauna, Islamic art and  animal motifs.

Beautiful lattice masterpiece

Intricate floral designs 

Not a single nail used to make - Rumah bujang berserambi selasar

Desa Ukiran Kayu

 

Realising the importance to preserve this heritage, Terengganu has set up the Desa Ukiran Kayu at Tengku LongPalace, Besut. Desa Ukiran Kayu is a vocational institution offering studies and education in woodcarving, entreprenuership and carpentry. The objective of its formation is to generate professional woodcarvers who not only produces beautiful masterpieces but also will be able to present woodcraft as succesful business aswell.

Rumah Potong Belanda

The Construction of Desa Ukiran Kayu is a manifestation of  Besut as the Woodcarving District of Terengganu and as a tribute to the famous woodcarvers from Besut such as Che Long bin Yusof, Tengku Ibrahim bin Tengku Wook (Tokoh Seni Negara 1997), Abdul Rahman Long, Wan Mustaffa Wan Yusof (Tokoh Seni Negeri Terengganu 2003) and Norhaiza bin Nordin.

Desa Ukiran Kayu is constructed on the palace grounds of Tengku Long. The palace and the traditional houses  built here are decorated with wonderful woodcarvings. The good teamwork of  professional woodcarvers and carpenters has produced beautifully designed traditional houses  that has adequate lighting and good circulation of air to ensure the comfort for its occupants.

Tarian Ulek Mayang

The mystical  Ulek Mayang dance of  Terengganu

Tarian Ulek Mayang is a popular old folk ritual dance of  Terengganu. The dance begins when a man falls ill catching fish or in any other daily activity. As such a bomoh (traditional witch doctor) is called to heal the man.

In comes seven  dancers representing the seven princess who dances gently and gracefully around the ill man in an effort to heal him. The kemenyan will be burnt throughout the whole dance and ulek mayang poem (pantun) is sung. The rebana and seruling is usually played to accompany the dance performance.

Today, the Ulek mayang  dance is usually performed in  festivals or official functions. It is said that if one sings or perform the ulek mayang with passion, one might get tranced by the spirit of the 7 princess. So beware...... Just in case you're interested here is the lyrics of Ulek Mayang. Enjoy.

Ulek mayang ku ulek
Ulek dengan jala jemala
Ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan tuannya puteri
Ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan jala jemala
Ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan puterinya dua

Puteri dua berbaju serong
Puteri dua bersanggol sendeng
Puteri dua bersubang gading
Puteri dua berselendang kuning
Umbok mayang diumbok
Umbok dengan jala jemala
Nok ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan puterinya empat

Puteri empat berbaju serong
Puteri empat bersanggol sendeng
Puteri empat bersubang gading
Puteri empat berselendang kuning
Umbok mayang diumbok
Umbok dengan jala jemala
Nok ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan puterinya enam

Puteri enam berbaju serong
Puteri enam bersanggol sendeng
Puteri enam bersubang gading
Puteri enam berselendang kuning
Umbok mayang diumbok
Umbok dengan jala jemala
Nok ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan puterinya tujuh

Puteri tujuh berbaju serong
Puteri tujuh bersanggol sendeng
Puteri tujuh bersubang gading
Puteri tujuh berselendang kuning
Umbok mayang diumbok
Umbok dengan jala jemala
Nok ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan tuannya puteri

Tuan puteri berbaju serong
Tuan puteri bersanggol sendeng
Tuan puteri bersubang gading
Tuan puteri berselendang kuning
Umbok mayang diumbok
Umbok dengan jala jemala
Nok ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan tuannya puteri

Ku tahu asal usul mu
Yang laut balik ke laut
Yang darat balik ke darat
Nasi berwarna hamba sembahkan
Umbok mayang ku umbok
Umbok dengan jala jemala
Pulih mayang ku pulih
Pulih balik sedia kala

Tarian Balai / Ulek Serkar

Tarian Balai is yet another ethnic dance from Terengganu, usually performed by farming comunity in Hulu Terengganu. It is performed to avoid any disasters seeking blessing from  the spirit of the padi (rice) and to say thanks for a good harvest in hopes of a bountiful crop in the future.

The dance movements are usually performed by village ladies involving easy movements relating to farming such as tilling and plowing the land. The women would dance in a group dancing around a balai (a structure like a tree or an umbrella) placed in the middle of the stage. The balai represents the spirit of the padi. The women would also wear farmers hats and carry farming tools while the sing to the beat of the drum.

Rodat

Rodat is another one of Terengganu's traditional folkdance. Believed to be originated from the Arabia and brought here via Indonesia.  Rodat is a traditional islamic performance that comprises of syair (poetic song) accompanied by rebana drums that are sung together in a group and the rodat dance itself.

Rodat get its name from Hadrat Baghdad which means (songs in praise of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad saw.). The message in rodat songs is full of advice and customs to educate and improve the community morally,spritually and socially.

Rodat is usually performed in cultural shows, festivals, wedding and circumcision ceremonies aswell as the celebration of the ruler's birthday. The dance movements comprises of standing, squatting and sitting kneeling movements  performed by 12 male dancers (pelenggok) and between 4 to 6 female dancers (mak inang) who all dance to the tune of 8 drummers (pengadi). Take a peek at how this dance is performed in the video below.

Tarian Anak Burung Baniong

The Tarian Anak Burung Baniong is another traditional Terengganu dance. Also known as Tarian Saba, this ethnic dance originates from Kampung Kuala Jungai in Hulu Dungun, Terengganu.

The dance steps are somewhat slower than the Watimang Landak dance. It is performed around the Saba Tree to traditional music and sounds created by bamboo like instrument called "kumbang". Other musical instruments which is played to accompany this dance are anak ambung (buluh), seruling (flute), rebana (big drum) and anak cerating.

Tarian Watimang Landak

Tarian Watimang Landak is one of Terengganu's traditional dances. Like many other traditional dances it is performed in festival occasions such as weddings and official functions.

It is a rather fast pace folk dance performed by men and women in pairs combining fast yet graceful steps. The dance is made according to the merry tune of the Watimang landak folk song. To know this dance better have a peek at this video below. Enjoy.

Wau Kite Flying

If you happen to be near the beach and the wind is blowing hard, you might be lucky to catch some  people playing the wau kite.

Wau kite flying is a  popular traditional game played in the large open areas such as the  padifields and on sandy beaches especially when there is a strong wind blowing. In the past, wau is played by farmers after the harvesting season, while fishermen played wau when they could not go out to sea, due to unfavorable weather conditions.

There are various types of wau such as wau bulan (moon kite), wau burung (bird kite), wau merak (peacock kite) and the the wau kuching (cat kite). Each carries a differant design and vary in sizes. A good kite is one that takes flight quickly and continues to fly gracefully.

Watching  the wau kite flying is a chance not to missed. It is a happy  moment that many share as they watch the colorful kites flying  and dancing across the blue skies. If you listen closely you can hear the wau kite humming sounds as the stretched kite string glides through the strong wind blowing.

Traditional Boat Making in Pulau Duyong

At Pulau Duyong  by the mouth of Terengganu river, Hj Abdullah bin Muda carries on the tradition of making traditional boats. He started making boats in 1955 and learning the fine craftsmanship from the village elders. Traditional boats are made from wooden timber which are carefully crafted and carved to became excellent masterpieces.


Boat making requires highly skilled  craftmanship and technique to ensure that the vessal could stay afloat, would not leak and could function properly. High quality timber pieces are carefully selected, measured and crafted to make up the frames of the boat and carefully assembled together in the construction of a boat. Up till now, Haji Abdullah and his team has managed to build more than 65 boats. Some are fishing boats while others are sailing boats.

At present Hj Abdullah is working together with students from the Giat Mara Centre to construct a sailing boat in an effort to share his boatmaking knowledge with the younger generation.Watch this short video clip about Hj Abdullah bin Muda commitmment  in the traditional boat making industry in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu.