Home to many Chinese descendants, Indonesia is set to joyously celebrate Chinese New Year, locally known as Imlek, with a variety of festivities across the archipelago.

Before 1998, during the era of president Soeharto, Chinese-Indonesians were banned from public Imlek celebrations. In 2000, then president Abdurrahman '€œGus Dur'€ Wahid overturned the ban, which was followed by a decree issued by Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2002 making Imlek a national holiday.

With this year's Imlek falling on Feb. 8, which is a Monday, travelers will have the opportunity to travel during the three-day long weekend and take part in at least one cultural event.

Below are five cities in Indonesia that arguably offer the best experiences of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Surakarta, Central Java

A week-long Javanese-style celebration called Grebeg Sudiro annually graces Surakarta, widely known as Solo, prior to the Chinese New Year.

First having emerged in 2008 during the first Imlek celebration in the city and centered on the Pasar Gede area, which is home to the Tien Kok Sie Chinese temple, Grebeg Sudiro is a combination of a local tradition called grebeg and Chinese tradition and features two gunungan (giant cone-shaped offerings), made from special Chinese kue keranjang (glutinous rice cakes), that are paraded around the city accompanied by a Chinese barongsai lion dance and an East Javanese reog ponorogo dance.

Since 2014, the city made Grebeg Sudiro a part of the Solo Imlek Festival and threw in other culturally flavored activities such as a potehi puppet show, the release of thousands of lanterns, a culinary and handicrafts fair, music and cultural performances such as barongsai and wushu, and a cheongsam (classical Chinese dress) fashion show.

Semarang, Central Java

The Chinese New Year celebrations in Semarang are popularly centered on the Pasar Semawis and Sam Poo Kong Temple.

Pasar Semawis is an annual night market festival that features a food bazaar and various art attractions such as a potehi puppet show, gambang Semarang (Semarang traditional xylophone), barongsai, wushu and Chinese drums. First held in 2004 on Jl. Gang Warung and along Jl. Wotgandul Timur, visitors can expect to indulge their palates with various peranakan dishes such as ifu mie (deep fried noodles), lontong cap gomeh (mixed curry served with rice cakes), swikee (frog leg soup) and Hainan chicken rice.

Meanwhile, Sam Poo Kong Temple is best visited on the eve of Chinese New Year as well as on the first day of the new year to marvel at the red lanterns and red paper swatches containing prayers hung from the main temple's ceiling and enjoy a wayang kulit (leather puppet) show performed in its courtyard during the evening.

Singkawang, West Kalimantan

Situated 145 kilometers from West Kalimantan's capital Pontianak, Singkawang has been long referred to as the city of 1,000 pagodas. Historically, the city was a part of the Sambas sultanate and has a strong presence of Indonesian-Chinese as a result of a gold fever that attracted many Chinese people to migrate to Kalimantan centuries ago.

The celebrations of Chinese New Year in Singkawang are usually centered on the Kridasana sports stadium, which is transformed into a brightly colored Mei Hwa flower garden with rows of red lantern decorations.

Many photographers, both beginners and professionals, can be found flocking to the city during Cap Go Meh, the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, to capture its most unique attraction, which is the Tatung.

A ritual to ward off evil spirits, the tradition involves men, called Tatung, who are possessed by ancestral spirits. The spirits pervading Tatung bodies are believed to be good spirits invoked by a preacher to help ward off evil spirits.

Those famished after exploring all the cultural attractions can end the day at Pasar Hong Kong, a night food market on Jl. Bawal selling various local and traditional peranakan treats.

Jakarta

Approaching Imlek, Petak Sembilan in the Chinatown area of Glodok, Central Jakarta, is usually filled with shops selling lanterns and Chinese New Year sweets such as dried plums and gold chocolate coins. On Chinese New Year, barongsai performances and Chinese drum groups can be seen performing on the streets and from house to house.

While strolling the area, visitors can opt to explore several Chinese temples such as the Kim Tek Le, Jin De Yuan and Lie Tek Kwai temples as well as visit the Chinese drug store, Karti Djaja, that sells an array of traditional Chinese medicine.

For foodies, savoring unique cuisine such as rujak juhi (salted cuttlefish, fried tofu, cucumber, and potatoes drenched in spicy peanut sauce) and rujak Shanghai (boiled octopus and sea cucumber with vegetables served in thick sweet and sour sauce) provides an interesting activity. More options of Chinese and Peranakan cuisine can be found along Gang Gloria in the Jl. Pancoran area.

Palembang, South Sumatra

Kemaro Island in Palembang, around six kilometers away from Ampera Bridge, has been known as a destination that blends local and Chinese traditions.

Home to a Chinese temple called Hok Tjing Rio, also known as Kuan Im temple, Kemaro Island's celebration of Cap Go Meh is a unique one since it is observed on the 13th day after Imlek, instead of the 15th day, so that pilgrims and visitors can pray at other temples during the latter date. It also demands the sacrifice of goats, not pigs.

A festive celebration in Palembang can also be seen around its Chinatown area, Dempo, with scheduled activities including barongsai performances, food festivals and photography and cooking competitions. (kes)(+)

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