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Borobudur attracts 40,000 visitors during Vesak celebration
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Thousands of people watched the first sunrise of 2017 from Borobudur Temple in Central Java. JP/Tarko Sudiarno (JP/Tarko Sudiarno)
T
housands of Buddhists gathered at Borobudur Temple in Central Java this week to celebrate Buddha’s birth, known as Vesak day, on Thursday.
The commemoration resulted in an increase of economic activity at Borobudur Temple, where, according to records, some 3,500 merchants and 76 tour guides provided services for visitors from Monday to Wednesday alone.
“I sold [goods] to a lot of buyers during this three-day period and saw an increase in my income of about 50 percent,” said Sunar, a souvenir seller in the Borobudur area.
Hotels in the area were fully booked with visitors and organizers of the Vesak celebration.
The number of visitors to Borobudur Temple has increased by 5 percent to 7 percent in recent years. In 2015, the iconic tourist attraction welcomed 3.6 million visitors, and in 2016 there were 3.9 million. This year’s target is set at 4.2 million visitors. (asw)
