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Chinese Indonesians enjoy Lunar New Year festivities across country
Over 800 people from different ethnicities and religions gathered at See Hien Kiong Temple after dark to enjoy lion dances, dragon dances, line dances, wushu performances, and violin music.
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Dancers perform the liong (dragon) dance at Pantjoran Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) in Jakarta on Feb. 10, 2024. Pantjoran PIK management held several performances, such as the liong and barongsai (lion) dances, to commemorate the Lunar New Year, also known as Imlek. (Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
T
housands of Chinese-Indonesians across the archipelago gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year on Wednesday, as communities came together at temples and viharas to bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon and usher in the Year of the Snake.
In Medan, North Sumatra, hundreds of people flocked to Candi Budha Vihara on Wednesday morning. Dressed in red and lighting incense, they prayed for a prosperous year ahead.
"I hope my family and I are blessed with good fortune and health this year," said one of the vihara attendants, A Lung.
Also on Wednesday, hundreds of visitors made their way to Maitreya Vihara, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Medan.
The vihara showcased a large red and gold snake statue to mark the arrival of the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes wisdom and vitality in Chinese culture.
In the vihara courtyard, 3,000 lanterns were hung, each adorned with a small piece of paper carrying the wishes of vihara attendants.
To ensure safety during the Lunar New Year celebrations, Medan Police deployed over 2,100 personnel to secure 278 viharas and 78 Chinese temples across the city.
