BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei Darussalam, June 8 (NNN- PELITA BRUNEI) – Up to 34,799 people visited Istana Nurul Iman, the royal palace of Brunei on Friday, the first day of the three-day “Open Palace” Hari Raya celebration.
As a country with around 440,000 population in 2018, Brunei has kept the tradition to open its royal palace to the public for years, in conjunction with the annual Muslim festival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, to enable Bruneians and tourists to meet and convey their greetings to the Sultan, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, as well as, other members of the royal family.
Istana Nurul Iman opens to the public for three days starting from Friday which is the second day of the festival.
“The annual Open Palace is an extraordinary function of this country,” British visitor, Gerald Moore, said.
“For me, this is a once in a lifetime experience to meet the Sultan of Brunei and other royalties,” he said.
As usual, visitors, as guests, have the chance to enjoy various special cuisines for them and then proceed to the designated waiting area before the meet-and-greet with the Sultan as well as other members of the royal family.
Besides citizens and tourists, the visitors also included foreign diplomats, as well as, officials and staff from various ministries.– NNN-PELITA BRUNEI
