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Imlek celebrations colorful, peaceful
Getting ready: A caretaker makes Chinese New Year preparations at the Tay Kak Sie Temple in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday
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Getting ready: A caretaker makes Chinese New Year preparations at the Tay Kak Sie Temple in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday. (JP/Suherdjoko) (JP/Suherdjoko)
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span class="inline inline-none">Getting ready: A caretaker makes Chinese New Year preparations at the Tay Kak Sie Temple in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday. (JP/Suherdjoko)
Chinese-Indonesians across the country welcomed the Year of the Horse Friday.
The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya (MVDM) Temple in Batam, Riau Islands, Friday provided free meals for 35,000 people after its Bakti Puja prayer.
'The feast is open to everyone. This is from all of us who are celebrating Imlek [Chinese New Year],' said MVDM spokesman Alvin Oktavianus Yolanda.
According to Alvin, to dish out that much food the temple needed 3,000 kilograms of rice, 1,000 drink cartons, 300 kg of noodles and hundreds of kilograms of vegetables.
'The cost for the feast was covered by donations. Volunteers prepared the feast,' said Alvin.
In Semarang, Central Java, at the stroke of midnight hundreds of people welcomed in the new lunar year with prayers in several temples across the city.
'On Friday morning, we visit our eldest sibling to ask for forgiveness and wish them Gong Xi Fa Cai [Happy New Year],' said Hoe Ayuningtias.
Scores of underprivileged people from various areas in Semarang waited for the Tri Dharma community to complete their prayers at Tay Kak Sie Temple before swarming the tents, erected in front of the temple, for angpao (red envelopes filled with cash).
'We are not disturbing the devotees. They will [finish praying and] give out the angpao. This is a piece of Imlek fortune,' said Yono, who was waiting to collect angpao.
Also in Semarang, scores of Pasaraya Sri Ratu shopping center employees celebrated Imlek with a parade along Jl. Pemuda, which featured decorated horse-drawn carriages adorned with lanterns and other paraphernalia. The event also included barongsai (lion dance) and liong (dragon dance) performances.
Pasaraya Sri Ratu assistant operational manager Suparlan said the horse-drawn carriage theme was picked as this was the Year of the Horse. 'A special attraction is the barongsai pole dance, in which dancers perform on poles up to 3 meters high,' said Suparlan.
In Surakarta, Central Java, Imlek celebrations included a Grebeg Sudiro, a Javanese-style parade, and
the Solo Imlek Festival at Vastenburg Fortress.
The festival exhibited the diverse Chinese-Indonesian community that had acculturated with Surakarta culture. The festival was closed with the releasing of lanterns.
On Thursday, a firework display at the famous Pasar Gede Market enlivened the city.
In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, members of the Chinese-Indonesian community performed prayers and rituals across the city on Friday morning.
Accompanied by the beat of drums and the scent of burning paper and joss sticks, devotees placed offerings, such as food and drinks, on shrines at the city's temples.
'We pray for safety, good health and prosperity,' said Andika Lay.
In Medan, North Sumatra, Imlek celebrations on Friday reportedly took place peacefully. North Sumatra Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. MP Nainggolan said police had provided security for 115 temples across the province, five of which received special security measures as they were large and popular.
Ainur Rohmah, Kusumasari Ayuningtyas, Severianus Endi and Apriadi Gunawan contributed to the story from Semarang, Surakarta, Pontianak and Medan
