A Forgotten Wau Bulan: Preserving The Tradition

Before the arrival of the internet, Facebook and online shopping, the children of that era used to fly oversized kites as a form of entertainment. In Malaysia, these oversized kites are also known as Wau. The Wau comes with different names according to their shape and design. The most prominent kind of Wau is the Wau Bulan. It was a fun activity for the children of the village, flying the kites at high altitude so much so that the kites could be seen from the neighbouring villages. It was a spectacular moment!

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Various sizes of colourful kites being displayed at the shop.
Credit: juneabduljamil on Instagram

Wau Bulan During The Childhood Days

Back then, there were a few individuals in the rural areas who were skilled in making kites especially Wau Bulan (moon kite). The prices for making a kite varied from the cheap to the expensive. Luckily for me, my late grandfather was one of those artisans. He received lots of requests for making kites. As such, he would spend most of his time making kites in his bangsal (shed).

When I was a child, I used to spend a lot of time living with my grandparents in my hometown Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. Whenever I was done helping my grandmother with baking kuih-muih (dessert foods), my little brother and I would rush into his shed, to help him to make kites. Once we stepped into his shed, we were overwhelmed by the various types of kites he made.

Imagine stepping into a shed full of colourful kites hanging on the walls, there was a strong smell of glue and the bamboo sticks scattered all over the floor. On the right side of the shed, you can see a huge colourful Wau Bulan on the wall. A kite with a size of a bear, full of bright harmonious colours with different abstract patterns on it. Enormously beautiful!

Just before sunset, he would offer to let us fly his largest Wau Bulan. We were excited, and ran into the field to fly the kite. Other villagers had also brought their Wau out to play, and the evening sky was awash in kites. It was a spectacular sight to behold. Various kites were soaring in the sky. The colours of those kites painted the evening sky.

The patterns are drawn on the Wau.
A Wau-maker is cutting the details and patterns on the kite.
Source: Image by Kerina Yin from Wikipedia

But Our Culture Is Quickly Fading

Today, we seldom see the sight of people flying big kites in the sky. It is also quite rare to watch kites soaring in the village’s sky like back then when this hobby was so popular among the youngsters. It seems that people of today have forgotten our old precious culture of flying kites.

Moreover, along with the advancement of technology and the global use of social media, the Western culture is diluting the Asian culture deliberately. The world is experiencing globalisation. On the bright side, globalisation helps to open our eyes into a deeper understanding of different cultures. However, The Japan Times labelled the globalisation as the culture killer.

A vast majority of people chose the “branded” culture, which over time, becomes their lifestyle. Its example is the gradual adoption of western culture. The youngsters view the western culture as a trend thus imitating it. Consequently, this accelerates the demise of national cultures. For example, children nowadays are picking up video games as a hobby instead of traditional games. We can infer that the culture is dying in the eyes of people today. So, how can we preserve the value of our own culture in this era?

How To Promote Wau Bulan?

A few Wau frames and the finished Wau kites being displayed in the workshop.
A few Wau Bulan are on display in the workshop.
Source: Image by Kerina Yin from Wikipedia

1. Establish A School Club – Wau Bulan Club

As we know, we should nurture the kids from young. So, schools can establish Wau Bulan club and encourage the students to participate. Through the establishment of the club, the members would be exposed to many aspects of Wau Bulan, and its importance to the Malaysian culture. The club can then organise any activities or programmes for the other students outside the club to expose them to the culture of Wau Bulan.

2. Put It Up As A Theme For Tourism

Tourism is a bridge to introducing cultures to the other parts of the world. Malaysia used to have a specific theme for tourism every year. We can consider boosting Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign with a theme dedicated to Wau Bulan i.e. “The Greatness of Wau Bulan“. By showcasing the various sizes, beautiful designs and intricate motifs of Wau Bulan, it would be an eye-catching experience. It would be great if the tourists could participate in making their own Wau Bulan too. A memento that they would be proud to take home with them.

3. Produce An Animation On Its Story

Animation is so popular these days, in both the entertainment industry, as well as the choice of a study course. Hence, it is not wrong to try to adopt a few ideas, or include the appearance of Wau Bulan in a local animation like Boboiboy, Upin Ipin and Ejen Ali, and in international animation. This would be the best platform to introduce Wau culture to the younger generation.

4. Produce A Documentary On Its History

Any campus and college community usually watch documentaries. This may be a good medium to put up a documentary on the culture of Wau Bulan. At the very least, it would benefit the students in the campus. It would be interesting if the documentary on Wau Bulan could actually trigger the students to do a research on it. For instance, the students can promote this culture in every aspect rather than just pursuing their own personal hobbies.

Wish To Fly Your Own Wau?

It is hard to obtain a Wau Bulan these days when only a few people are skillful in making it. If we manage to buy it, it might be quite expensive, as it requires meticulous work in making one. Thankfully, you can purchase souvenirs of Wau Bulan in the likeness of keychains, pencils, notebooks, etc.

If you happen to be in Kuala Lumpur, the nearest place where you can buy your own Wau Bulan is at Central Market Kuala Lumpur. This is a shoppers’ paradise for Malaysian souvenirs.

Other than Wau Bulan, Songket is also another national heritage that we are proud of and should keep its tradition alive. The use of Songket is also popular in the fashion world which displays the different type of Songket from the other parts of Asia.

About Najwa MAIHAZAM

English Linguistics major, coffee connoisseur and a logophile, Najwa is the reason why you should never judge a book by its cover. Shy and reserved at first glance, but a talkative person with a practical joker persona when you get to know her better.

3 Replies to “A Forgotten Wau Bulan: Preserving The Tradition”

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