West Borneo Kalimantan Wooden Houses

Rumah Panjang is one of the traditional houses from West Kalimantan. Rumah Panjang is a characteristic of the Dayak people who live in West Kalimantan. This is because the long house is a social picture of the Dayak community in West Kalimantan. The longhouse is also the center of life for the Dayak people. Currently, longhouses in West Kalimantan can be said to be almost extinct because of their small number. In 1960, the government destroyed several longhouses on suspicion of being communist. Longhouses in the West Kalimantan area are synonymous with longhouses in Central Kalimantan. This is because the geographic location of West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan are very close together. Both are known as Rumah Betang

Once upon a time, the long house from West Kalimantan was made of wood. Longhouses from West Kalimantan are 5 to 8 meters high. The height of the house depends on the height of the poles that support the house. The longhouse from West Kalimantan is about 180 meters long and 6 meters wide. Longhouses have about 50 rooms. These rooms are generally inhabited by many families which also include the nuclear family. To enter the long house, the family uses a tangka or rung. Longhouses in West Kalimantan have a narrow shape but are of extreme length. This house only consists of one room. The long house consists of several parts, namely the terrace or commonly called the pante, the living room which is commonly referred to as the samik, and the family room. In the living room, there is a table called a pene which functions as a place to talk or receive guests. Pene is in the form of a circle and is used to put food or drinks to welcome guests. The family room is a simple room that is 6 meters long and 6 meters wide. The back of the longhouse is used as a kitchen for the family. Generally, each family has its own kitchen.

In general, longhouses were used to house several families. However, the long house was not only used as a residence. Long houses are built high because they function to avoid wild animal attacks. The height of the long house also plays a role in maintaining the safety of the family from attacks by other tribes in Dayak society. Longhouses are also often used for community activities such as meetings or gatherings. Not only community meetings, longhouses are also used for traditional ceremonies or rites that exist in Dayak society. Therefore, longhouses are not only private property but also Dayak community property.

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