Lotus Pond Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK), Biden and Jinping Dining Venue To be

TIMESINDONESIA, BALI – The top brass of G20 member countries will enjoy a welcoming dinner at Lotus Pond Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park (GWK) Bali, on Tuesday (11/15/2022) night.  This event will be held in a string of G20 Indonesia Summits.

President Joko Widodo and the head of the delegation will attend a dinner in the Lotus Pond area as part of a series of G20 Summit activities.

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"We prepared the feasibility, beauty, and neatness to make this welcoming dinner perfect," Stephen Yonathan Astayasa said as GWK's Operational Director. 

He ensured that the preparations for welcoming and welcoming dinner were 100 percent ready. His party began to make improvements to the venues and access to the G20 must be free of queues. 

For information, GWK Cultural Park is one of the favorite destinations for the Island of the Gods. Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park was designed by Nyoman Nuarta in the 1980s. It took a long time until finally the idea of GWK was accepted by the community, initially considered to be a mere waste of money. 

The project could only start in 1997. Afterward, on September 22, 2018, the 60-hectare cultural park was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo.

The special feature of one of Bali's favorite destinations lies in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue which towers more than 120 meters high. The statue became an icon of ageless civilization. 

The copper, steel, and brass metal statue depicts the Hindu God Vishnu on his mount, the Garuda bird. On the shoulder of Lord Vishnu, there is an ornament made of thousands of pieces of gold mosaic glass. The decoration called "Badong" was also glued to the crown and chest of the statue. 

"As an icon that Bali and Indonesia are proud of, we are proud to be selected because many delegates want to know exactly what this destination looks like," Stefanus said. 

Apart from that, as the main venue for dinners, Lotus Pond is the largest landmark in GWK known as the main square. The outdoor area can accommodate up to 7,500 people.

The vast stretching grounds look very majestic with limestone cliffs lined up on the right and left. The view at that point is even more charming with the presence of the Garuda statue at one end of the limestone cliff row.

Stepping into the main door of Lotus Pond, there is a Tirta Agung (holy water). Their visitors can also find carved stone walls (reliefs) that contain the story of Garuda Vishnu Kencana until it finally becomes the mount of Lord Vishnu--Hindus believe him to be the guardian god of the universe.

Lotus symbolizes beauty, prosperity, and fertility, and is always carried in the hands of Vishnu. Although the lotus flower has roots in the mud, however above the surface it blooms into a beautiful flower and becomes a symbol rich in humanity and the cosmos.

"The plan is to have about 300-400 people who will attend the dinner at Lotus Pond. The rest, G20 participants who do not participate in the dinner can eat dinner at the Jendela Bali restaurant," Stefanus said. 

Stefanus is also optimistic that the G20 event will have a positive impact and increase tourist visits to GWK in the long term. Moreover, the manager does continue to make improvements.

"From inside the GWK statue, tourists are now spoiled with a variety of different experiences, from the ground floor of the statue to the top of the 23rd floor. The goal is that GWK can give a memorable impression to tourists," he said.

GWK Bali Cultural Park temporarily closed tourist visits for four days, starting from 12 to 15 November 2022. During those four days, GWK furloughed some of its employees. This is done to maximize preparations to welcome the country's guests to the G20 Indonesia Summit in Bali. (*)

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