Central Region: Gule-Wamkulu and Rock Art

The Central Region offers cultural themes to explore through objects, stories and rock art. The Chamare Museum focuses on Gule-Wamkulu masks and structures, the history of the Mua Mission, and cultural artefacts of the Ngoni and Yao. Chongoni draws attention to rock paintings in wooded granite hills. There is also Kungoni, where visitors can watch carvers at work in the Botanical Garden. These themes give your trip a range of cultural highlights.

Chamare Museum: Objects and Cultural Interpretations

The Chamare Museum presents Gule-Wamkulu masks and structures as carriers of the moral teachings of the ancestors for the Chewa. Their cultural significance is therefore explicitly foregrounded. The collection also includes cultural artefacts of the Ngoni and Yao. The exhibition on the Chewa, Ngoni and Yao includes detailed photographs and explanations by Claude Boucher Chisale. Within the museum, objects and masks are thus presented alongside photographic depictions and explanatory texts; each form offers a distinct way of engaging with the themes.

Another focus is the history of the Mua Mission and the relationship between faith and culture, known as inculturation. These themes offer a historical and cultural perspective that can be considered alongside the collection of objects. The Chamare Museum offers guided tours. If you plan to include a tour, check the latest operating details before your trip.

Rock Art in the Chongoni Rock-Art Area

The Chongoni Rock-Art Area comprises 127 sites in wooded granite hills on the plateau of central Malawi. Chewa farmers practised rock painting there well into the 20th century. The sites remain associated with Chewa ceremonies and rituals. Historical practice and an ongoing cultural relationship therefore coexist.

The vast majority of the sites lie within the area boundary, which coincides with the boundary of the Chongoni Forest Reserve. Five of the 127 designated sites lie outside this boundary, but within the buffer zone.

UNESCO describes the Chongoni Rock-Art Area in Malawi as not officially open to the public unless trained staff are permanently stationed on site. Before planning a visit, confirm what access is currently available.

Carving and Dance at Kungoni

Visitors are welcome to watch the carvers at work in the Botanical Garden on the Kungoni grounds. Much of their work takes place there in public view; those interested in the creative process will find a different focus here from the collections and artworks. The Kungoni Dance Troupe performs at the adjacent Bwalo dance ground. If you would like to include a performance in your day’s plans, check performance times in advance.

Getting Your Bearings in the Central Region

For orientation: Lilongwe is in the Central Region and is Malawi’s capital, an important gateway to the country and the seat of government.

Discover more destinations: Salima, Kasungu, Nkhotakota, Senga, Kasungu, Ntcheu, Southern Region, Northern Region

For the main travel overview: Malawi.