The Gawai Dayak 2025 Parade in state capital Kuching is the only annual gathering by representatives of around 11 of Sarawak’s main Dayak groups — which participants said helps to keep alive a unique part of the Southeast Asian nation’s culture.
Marchers gathered from early Saturday under the blistering tropical sun, many of them travelling long distances by bus to walk in the parade along the banks of the Sarawak River.
“This gathering is something that is very important to me,” said Joel Zacchaeus Anak Ebi, sporting the traditional Iban headgear worn by one of Borneo’s best-known tribes.