Tong Tong Fair 2014
While in The Hague, I did not miss out on the opportunity to check out Tong Tong Fair. The 12-day fair, said to be the biggest Eurasian fair in the world, ends today, June 9.
Organised annually since 1959 by the Tong Tong Foundation, Tong Tong Fair, previously known as Pasar Malam Besar, began life as an Indonesian fair in the Netherlands to foster Indies-Eurasian culture and to broaden public understanding of its history due to the large Indonesian population in the country.
This year’s Tong Tong Fair is held in Malieveld, Den Haag, one of the many events organised as part of The Hague Festivals, celebrated over two months in the summer and in conjunction with Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 that is currently hosted in The Hague.
Tong Tong Fair is an event that introduces Asia’s best in entertainment, culture and food, all rolled into one. A major attraction of Tong Tong Fair is the Tong Tong Festival, with a line up of hundreds of stage performances. Entrance ticket to Tong Tong Fair includes a theatre pass for the Tong Tong Festival.
The international Tong Tong Festival takes place in four theatres on the fair site, including the Tong Tong Podium, Bibit Theatre, and the Bengkel.
Other attractions at Tong Tong Fair are the Grand Pasar and the Food Court, where visitors get to taste authentic Indonesian and other Asian food from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, without having to endure a 12-hour flight.
Many of the exhibitors come all the way from Indonesia, the Pacific and other Southeast Asian countries especially for the event to showcase their arts and crafts to the European market. Last year, Tong Tong Fair attracted a total of 103,000 visitors while the first two days of this year’s fair saw 30,000 visitors from all over Europe.
Ticket prices:
– Regular weekdays €13,50
– Regular Sat or Sun €16,50
– Senior citizens weekdays €11,-
– Senior citizens Sat or Sun €12,50
– Cultural Youth Pass (CJP) €9,50
– Students € 11,-
– Children 2-11 yrs €4,50
*Reduced rates for those who purchased their tickets online before May 29.
Tong Tong Fair 2014
Dates: May 29 to June 9
Opening hours: 12pm – 10pm daily
For further information on this annual Tong Tong Fair and Tong Tong Festival: www.tongtongfair.nl
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