Traveling can produce a variety of positive benefits, such as increasing knowledge. In Bali, for example, there’s a place where you can learn about their traditional musical instruments. It’s in Tihingan Village, Banjarangkan District, Klungkung Regency. Only about 7 kilometers away from the town of Klungkung, this village is known to other countries as the center of gong and a set of gamelan musical instruments.

While walking along the paved road of this village, there is an occasional rhythmic beat from a pande. Pande is a gong and gamelan instrument maker. His expertise is to form a sound from a mixture of brass, copper, and bronze. In general, the process of making a complete set of gamelan instruments takes up to two months. Even though it was done by ten workers, it still took a long time to make a set of gamelan.

Gong and gamelan have indeed been known to the world as one of the traditional musical instruments. Well, the gong itself has a rooted philosophy for the people of Bali. In every Balinese spiritual activity, gong plays an important role. For your information, this musical instrument is mostly made of bronze.

Philosophically, round gongs reflect the highest value of life. When played along with a set of other gamelan instruments, gong acts as a unifier. Whereas in Balinese music, it is considered as the prefix and end of a musical arrangement. Gong is also considered a balancer. There is also a belief that the gong symbolizes the process of ngahiyang or moksa.

With the philosophy and meaning contained in gong and gamelan instruments, it is not surprising that many domestic tourists from all over the world are interested in visiting Tihingan Village. Not only for traveling, but also to buy gongs and a set of gamelan instruments. Well, you can also enjoy gamelan music performances on certain days in the village.

The sound of metal and other activities can make your vacation feel musical. Imagine, almost 90% of the population of Tihingan Village works as a pande. Even tourists from various countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, America, and India, are interested in visiting Tihingan Village. How about you?