 Each village has a rumah adat or “traditional house”,
used for storing traditional heirlooms. The one in Longgar has sadly
been modernized when the visiting Chinese bupati (regent) of Aru
expressed his dismay at the traditional, tatched structure, but the one
in neighbouring Aparra remains authentic. The one in Mesian is similar,
but much smaller.
The rumah adat tend to be locked up most of the
time, but a polite request to have a look inside will usually work. The
one in Longgar may now be modern as a building, but has the finest
collection of traditional heirlooms inside. These include several
pieces of antique porcelain, huge, old gongs, and even an elephant tusk
that made its way here all the way from Sumatra or India.
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