South Sulawesi is a province located in the Sulawesi Island. It borders with West Sulawesi to the north, Bone Bay and Southeast Sulawesi to the east, Makassar Strait to the west, and the Flores Sea to the south.
The total area of South Sulawesi is 46,717.48 km2. According to the population census in 2018, its total population is 8,771,970 inhabitants. Several ethnics live the region, namely Bugis, Makassarese, Mandar and Toraja tribes. the first civilization in South Sulawesi was traced back since 1500 BC. The first kingdom that stood was the Endekan Kingdom in Babampuang and Kingdom of Toraja, which was founded in the 4th century AD until 14 AD. During the 14th-16th Century, there were three major Islamic kingdoms in the South Sulawesi namely Gowa-Tallo Kingdom (Makassar sultanate), Bone Kingdom, and the Konawe Kingdom in the 18th century.
the tradition of the Endekan Kingdom was dated since 1000 years ago. It is still maintained and practiced by the Toraja tribe in Tana Toraja. This region is rich in intangible cultural heritage such as Lipaq silk weaving textile, Toraja carving art, and the pinisi boat. Pinisi Boat is a shipbuilding tradition dated since the 16th century. This tradition is revived by the shipbuilder community who pass on the skill from generation to generation. This unique shipbuilding tradition has not only won the national recognition, but it was inscribed in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Toraja carving art is also a distinguished culture of the region which is always shown on the exterior and interior decoration in every architectural property and traditional cloth.