Putu Sri Parwati has never objected to celebrating Chinese New Year with her Buddhist husband, despite being Hindu.
"Every Chinese New Year, me and my husband, who is Chinese, come here and join the festivities," the mother of three said at the Griya Kongco temple. Located in Tanah Kilap, South Denpasar, the unique Griya Kongco offers a place to worship for Taoists, Buddhists and Hindus alike.
Peaceful Chinese New Year celebrations took place in temples across Bali on Monday as Hindus, Buddhists and Taoists gathered together to celebrate the coming of Chinese New Year 2560.
The festivities began just before midnight when temples adorned with red lanterns saw crowds enjoy traditional lion and dragon dances as fireworks lit the night sky.
At Griya Kongco about 500 people packed the temple.
Ida Bagus Adnyana, the High Priest of Griya Kongco, said thousands of people from all around Indonesia and from Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist backgrounds had been coming in and out of the temple since the festivities began.
"Many were crying, not because they were happy or sad but because there were so much incense smoke," he said, laughing.
He said the temple has long been a go-to site for the three different religions, saying that the harmony had been in practice for hundreds of years because the temple had been built on top of shrines where the three religions prayed at a close distance.
He said the temple would continue to serve adherents of all religions.
"We're just taking the example of our ancestors," he said.
The Caow Eng Bio Chinese temple in Tanjung Benoa, Badung saw similar liveliness.
Though there were less people than at Griya Kongco, members of the three religions attended Chinese New Year at the Caow Eng Bio temple to celebrate in harmony.
Built an estimated 300 years ago, Caow Eng Bio is actually the oldest Chinese temple in Bali. It was built at what was a seaport, where Buddhist peddlers who traveled from China would stop and pray.
"It's gotten much bigger now and more and more people come to celebrate Chinese New Year here of course," Siu Yang, the keeper of Caow Eng Bio said.
She said about 50 people came to celebrate the turn of the Chinese New Year just before midnight on Sunday, but added that at least 300 had visited the temple by late Monday afternoon.
Lita, a Buddhist from Jakarta, said she came to Caow Eng Bio to celebrate Chinese New Year whilst holidaying in Bali with her family.
"I hope this country will remain safe this year," Lita said, reiterating her Chinese New Year wish.
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