Asaro Mudmen

The Asaro Mudmen are the best-known cultural visit from Goroka: men in pale clay masks and white-painted bodies, associated especially with Komunive village in the Asaro Valley. The image has become a national symbol of Papua New Guinea, but it is also a local tradition with its own arguments over origin, ownership, and performance.

Go with a guide and arrange the visit in advance. This is not a place to arrive unannounced with a camera. A good visit explains how the masks are made, why the performance developed, and how tourism has changed the way the tradition is presented.

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