Home / Pacu Jalur and Rayyan: the aura farming boat kid
Pacu Jalur and Rayyan: the aura farming boat kid
Updated: · 8 min read
Pacu Jalur is a traditional longboat race in Riau (Sumatra, Indonesia), and the boy in the viral video is Rayyan Arkan Dikha, 11, who dances at the bow as the Togak Luan. His clip spread in June 2025 and turned "aura farming" into a global expression; Oxford University Press named it one of three finalists for 2025 Word of the Year.
What Pacu Jalur is and who the boat kid is
Pacu Jalur is a traditional longboat race held every year in Kuantan Singingi, in Riau province (Sumatra, Indonesia). In 2025 a clip of a boy dancing on the bow of one of those boats went around the world under the label "aura farming": the boy is 11-year-old Rayyan Arkan Dikha.
- What a jalur is: a long boat made from a single tree trunk, carrying 40 to 80 rowers, carved and painted.
- Who dances at the bow: the Togak Luan (also called Tukang Tari or Anak Coki), a child who hypes up the team and signals to the crowd when the boat is leading. Children are picked because the role takes a lot of balance.
- Rayyan Arkan Dikha: he was 11 when the video was filmed, danced in a Teluk Belanga outfit with a Riau Malay headcloth and sunglasses, and said he came up with the dance spontaneously.
- What happened next: Riau province named him a cultural and tourism ambassador and he received a government scholarship.
Timeline: from a local TikTok to going global
The video was filmed in January 2025 and blew up in June: within days it went from thousands of views to millions.
| Date | What happened | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 10, 2025 | TikTok by @lensa.rams showing a kid dancing at the front of a Pacu Jalur boat ("AKSI BOCIL PACU JALUR"). | 78,000+ views in five months |
| Jun 21, 2025 | One of the earliest viral edits, on Instagram (sheluvgoodnightdaylight). | 260,000+ views in nine days |
| Jun 22, 2025 | Edit set to "Young Black & Rich" by Melly Mike (mythicalreel.scroll). | 6 million views and 260,000 likes in eight days |
| Jun 26, 2025 | An Instagram user (nevultius) mimics the moves. | 1.1 million likes in four days |
| Jun 27, 2025 | TikTok by @shaialxndrr compiling several clips of kids on boats. | 6 million views in three days |
| Jul 1, 2025 | Paris Saint-Germain posts its own version on TikTok. | 7 million+ views in 10 days |
Sources: Know Your Meme (Indonesian Boat Racing Kid) and Wikipedia (Pacu Jalur). Social-media figures change over time.
Photo: a jalur from above
This is what a jalur looks like mid-race: one very long boat with dozens of rowers in a line.
Videos about Pacu Jalur and the boat kid
Three YouTube videos (by third parties, not ours). Each caption gives the title and channel as they appear on YouTube; the first two are in English and the third is in Indonesian.
"Who is the aura-farming boat kid?" — CBC Kids News.
"The “aura farming” Indonesian boy who's back at this year's boat race" — CNA.
"Detik-detik Penentuan Juara Pacu Jalur Kuansing 2025!" — Tribunnews (in Indonesian): the 2025 race final.
Pacu Jalur in numbers
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where | Kuantan Singingi (Teluk Kuantan), Riau province, Sumatra |
| Age | Dates back to the 17th century; mentioned in the Tambo Minangkabau manuscript |
| Colonial era | Under Dutch rule it was held every August 31 for Queen Wilhelmina's birthday |
| Recognition | Indonesia's National Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2014 |
| The boat | A single trunk about 25 to 30 meters long, with room for 40 to 80 rowers |
| 2025 edition | August 20 to 24 |
| 2025 visitors | Over 1.6 million according to Riau's tourism office; the tourism ministry gives 1.4 million for 2024 |
| The video's effect | Officials estimated up to 100,000 extra spectators in 2025, according to AFP; Agoda reported 35% more visits |
Sources: Wikipedia, The Jakarta Post (AFP), Industry.co.id (citing Agoda) and the tourism bodies cited. Some figures are official estimates.
Who copied the dance
The dance became a global meme. According to Wikipedia, those who recreated it include clubs, athletes and internet figures.
| Who | What they did |
|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | Posted its version on TikTok on July 1, 2025 |
| Travis Kelce | American football player; his video passed 14 million views |
| Alex Albon | Formula 1 driver |
| Diego Luna | Footballer who used the dance as a goal celebration |
| KSI and Steve Aoki | YouTuber and music producer |
| Chloe Kelly | English footballer, during the Lionesses' Euro 2025 victory parade in London |
Source: Wikipedia, "Aura farming".
How it connects to aura farming
"Aura farming" was already in use before the video, mostly for anime characters and celebrities who seemed to try hard to look cool. The boat kid gave the phrase a new image: someone who does it calmly and without explanation, and is credited with aura. According to Oxford University Press, "aura farming" was one of the three finalists for 2025 Word of the Year and its use peaked in July 2025, largely because of this video.
For other cases, see Piccolo aura farming and Gucci Morty, and to play with aura points try the calculator or the duels.
FAQ
What is Pacu Jalur?
A traditional longboat race in Kuantan Singingi, Riau (Sumatra, Indonesia). It dates back to the 17th century and has been part of Indonesia's National Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2014.
Who is the aura farming boat kid?
Rayyan Arkan Dikha, from Riau. He was 11 when the video was filmed, dancing at the bow of a jalur, and he danced for the Tuah Koghi Dubalang Ghajo team, according to Wikipedia.
What does the kid do at the bow of the boat?
He is the Togak Luan (or Tukang Tari): he hypes up the rowers and signals to the crowd when the boat is leading. It is usually a child because the role takes a lot of balance.
Who invented the dance?
According to Rayyan, he came up with it himself, spontaneously. He said so in interviews, according to Wikipedia.
What song is in the viral video?
The most viral edits use "Young Black & Rich" by Melly Mike, according to Know Your Meme.
What happened to Rayyan after going viral?
Riau named him a cultural and tourism ambassador, he received a government scholarship and traveled to Jakarta to meet the Ministers of Culture and Tourism, according to Wikipedia.
How much did tourism at Pacu Jalur grow?
Riau estimated over 1.6 million visitors in 2025, compared with 1.4 million in 2024 according to the tourism ministry. Officials estimated up to 100,000 extra spectators because of the dance, according to AFP.
Is aura farming the same as the kid's dance?
Not exactly. "Aura farming" is an internet expression that predates the video; the kid's dance became its most famous example because it looks effortless.
Seven situations. One number. No account, no photos, nothing saved.
CALCULATE MY AURA POINTSSources
- Wikipedia — Pacu Jalur — en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — Aura farming — en.wikipedia.org
- Know Your Meme — Indonesian Boat Racing Kid — knowyourmeme.com
- The Jakarta Post (AFP), 2025 — thejakartapost.com
- Oxford University Press, Word of the Year 2025 — corp.oup.com
- Industry.co.id (citing Agoda), 2025 — industry.co.id
- Indonesia.travel — Getting to Know Pacu Jalur — indonesia.travel
- Wikimedia Commons — Pacu Jalur culture (Nocomentapapun, CC BY-SA 4.0) — commons.wikimedia.org