Tjibaou Cultural Centre

Worth a trip. Interesting presentation of nouméa Kanak culture for decent price. Relative small and mostly in French.Nevertheless 1.5h where well spent here.

[Attraction Guide] The ancient Kanak tribe epitome of the Pacific Ocean Jibawu Cultural Center is currently managed by the Kanak Cultural Development Bureau. It is very versatile, both a museum, multimedia library, conference and research creation center, and a botanical garden. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9am-5pm (except public holidays) ticket price: 1000XPF/person, half price guide service for under 18 and over 65 years old: one each at 10:00 am and 2:30 pm on the opening day, 1000XPF per person (half price for old and young), highlights and features need to be reserved: The Jibau Cultural Center is named after the political leader of Kanak, Jean-Marie Tijibau, but according to the Kanak tradition, it is never named after the building because they believe that the name is given by tribes and chiefs, and that the name is returned when the person leaves. But after discussion by tribal leaders, it was a meaningful thing to continue the building like life, so a grand naming ceremony was held. Opened in May 1998, it is the work of Renzo Piano, a renowned Italian contemporary architect who designed the Pompidou Art Center and Osaka Kansai Airport. It combines modern architecture with Kanak traditional architecture, consists of three “villages” of 10 scattered Melanesian-style buildings, and is connected by a long passageway to simulate the traditional Kanak village. The whole building is open to the sea and closed to the peninsula, symbolizing the welcome and tolerance of the outside world, and the careful introspection of the interior, and the building and the surrounding environment are integrated and harmonious, as the Kanak philosophy of life. For better protection and inheritance of Kanak culture, the village of Kanak is also simulated. Little Tips: Have the opportunity to feel the traditional local food (reservation is required) traditional food Bougna dinner, from cassava and taro as the main ingredients, then add chicken, pumpkin and coconut juice, etc., wrapped tightly with leaves, buried in preheated stones, then covered with branches, patiently waiting for more than an hour, You can dig out and taste it.

As a new landmark in the city of Noumea, the New Gibau Cultural Center is the center of the cultural arts and traditions of the local indigenous Kanak people, designed by the world's Pulitzer Prize-winning architect, Renzo Piano, Italy. Lenzo Piano is one of the designers of the Pompidou Cultural Center in Paris, France, and the Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan. The cultural center building is inspired by local residential buildings and has been designed with modern precision. The Kanaks never used their names for buildings because the Kanaks were given their names by the chiefs of the tribe. When the person was not there, the name was to be returned to the tribe. The tribal chief was also called in to name the cultural center Jibawu, which the tribal chief thought was a very meaningful thing, not just a building, but a life-like continuation and a grand naming ceremony. The material comes from Ghana, Africa, a type of wood that is not insect-ridden, not corroded, and very resilient, and can resist even a typhoon of 200 kilometers per hour. The building also has a ventilation system, which automatically adjusts the leaf blades like blinds depending on the size of the wind, direction, and is very environmentally friendly.

About 40 minutes drive from Ouen Toro, we arrive at the Noumé Akanak Cultural Center. Here we can see the Kanak crafts and learn about their customs. Closed at 6 pm, the scale of the cultural center is not small, many indoor venues start to close at 5 pm, it is recommended to visit when there is enough time. The content of the indoor exhibition hall is very rich, and the crafts here have characteristics that are not seen in other places. We found that the Noumea Canak people liked to decorate the head of the work, the most distinctive feature was a bird on the head. Every craft is not explained in detail, and it is a pity that they did not understand the meaning of these crafts. In addition, the staff said that there is no souvenir to imitate these crafts, which is the most regrettable! Crafts can not be touched, only photographed, and have to commemorate with photos. Outdoors in the cultural center, you can see the traditional grass house. There are many sculptures at the entrance, there is still a bird on the head, maybe a patron saint. Totem Deepening something always makes everything more spiritual.