Tonge: Location and Traditions

Tonge is located in the Ba Highlands. The GeoNames gazetteer lists Toge and Tonge as names for the same place in Ba Province. For travelers choosing a stay based on local stories and cultural context, Tonge is known for traditions surrounding Adi Lewaseni Mudrelagi, the village’s traditional classification, and a connection to rugby. These topics offer different perspectives on the place: a historical account of refuge, a community classification, and a biographical connection to sport.

Traditions from Tonge

According to stories passed down by the Navatusila, the people of Tonge gave Adi Lewaseni Mudrelagi refuge about 150 years ago, when she was pursued by tribal rivals. The Tui Naloto at the time, Ratu Viliame Rasaku Lagavakatini, took in Adi Lewaseni and her two sons. He also decreed that the family of the late Taukei Duguivalu should live in Tonge. The tradition links the refuge to the reception of her sons and to a decision about the family’s future home.

Community and traditional classification

Tonge is regarded as a chiefly village and as the home of the Yavusa Neikoro and Tina. Naming both Yavusa shifts the focus from a single historical biography to the village’s community classification. According to the classification documented in 2019, the traditional domain of the Vanua o Tabuatolu comprised Toge, Balevuto, and Nadrugu; Tui Naloto Ratu Jone Naqiri Lagavakatini was named as its head. Thus, the Yavusa associated with Tonge and the wider traditional domain stand side by side as different layers of the place’s history.

A connection to rugby

Rugby also offers a biographical connection to Tonge: Joji Nasova returned to the local rugby competition in the village. For travelers interested in rugby, this connection adds another aspect of the place’s history to the stories of refuge and traditional leadership.

Ba in the wider travel area

The story of Adi Lewaseni is also connected to the wider travel area. An account published in 2019 reports that a traditional ceremony was held in Ba on a Thursday, where her descendants remembered their ancestor’s refuge. While the tradition links the refuge to Tonge, the report names Ba as the place of remembrance. This adds a regional connection to the village’s history.

Another connection to the Ba area is the Naloto District School in Ba. A new water supply system worth US$3,726.15 was commissioned there. The report, published in June 2025, names students and members of the large farming community in Tonge and the hinterland of Ba Town as beneficiaries of access to clean water and sanitation. The school is located in Ba; Tonge appears in the report as part of the named farming community.

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View the wider travel overview: Western Division.