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Cap Go Meh festivities in Chinatown celebrate city's diversity, unity
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Crowds gather to watch a 'liong' (dragon) dance at Pancoran Chinatown Point mall in Glodok, West Java, on Saturday, Feb. 9. The performance was staged as part of the Cap Go Meh celebrations. (JP/Galih Gumelar)
H
undreds of Jakartans were drawn into the excitement of the post-Lunar New Year celebration of the Cap Go Meh festival in the capital’s Chinatown area of Glodok in West Jakarta on Saturday, with visitors enjoying the various performances that celebrated diversity and the fusion of Chinese and local traditional cultures.
Hendrawanto, a 54-year old resident of Penjaringan, North Jakarta, laughed heartily as he watched two lenong (traditional Betawi theater) performers trade pantun (four-line rhyming poems) with each other.
Hendrawanto, who is of Chinese descent, said he had grown up watching lenong performances.
“I enjoy watching the performances because they’re so funny. I’m glad that I came to the festival as it’s very rare that I can see a show like this,” Hendrawanto said.
The Cap Go Meh festival, which marks the 15th and final day of Chinese New Year celebrations, was held on Saturday and Sunday in front of the Pancoran Chinatown Point mall.
In addition to barongsai (lion) and liong (dragon) dances, which are symbols of Chinese culture, the festival also featured many Betawi art performances such as ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies) parades and gambang kromong (traditional Betawi musical ensemble) shows.
The festival also offered a wide range of delicacies at its 45 food stalls along Jl. Pancoran, ranging from Chinese foods such as dumplings and noodles to local dishes like kerak telor (Betawi-style omelet made with duck eggs and rice) and dodol Betawi (traditional toffee-like sweets made with palm sugar).
