The flow of tourists to the Curarrehue zone (Chile´s 9th region) has increased in forty percent since the "Trawupeyüm" cultural center was opened. In mapudungun, the word means "there where we gather". The idea is not just for tourism to increase but to maintain alive a culture that still has a lot to offer.

The inter-cultural village of "Trawupeyüm" is located about 60 miles from the city of Pucon. It has a cultural center and museum, a handcrafts market and a typical dining room. Several large pictures show different aspects of the Mapuche culture, as well as typical food from these native people.

The construction of the village was based in elements and typical characteristics of the Mapuche cosmovision, such as the "kultrún" (a sacred drum used in ceremonies and rituals). The builders got their inspiration on aesthetic principles of the Mapuche-Pewuenche culture, like the Wampo Ruka, a house for the mountains with a roof made out of large logs. Its walls are also built with tree logs, placed side by side.

A multifunction hall always has fire, so to promote the gathering and conversation, specially during winter. Through art and culture, the village maintains the legacy of the Mapuche people, re-vitalizing its millenary tradition. This is a live museum that has become an active cultural center, where one can share, for instance, with mapuche weavers.

Tomás Sepúlveda (31) and art teacher María Paz Miranda (31) are the promoters of this initiative, as part of "Servicio País", a program that works with urban professionals to develop rural areas. The increase of tourism to the zone shows that their efforts have certainly paid off.