H

undreds of people flocked to the Hian Tan Keng temple on Jl. Kemenangan III, West Jakarta on Thursday, praying for good fortunes in the Year of the Rabbit.

As Jakartans of Chinese descent gathered inside to send their prayers, beggars waited outside, lined up since early in the morning, expecting revelers to hand out ang pao, red envelopes filled with cash.

Members of the city’s Chinese community took turns entering the temple, burning joss sticks and prayer papers, filling the temple halls with smoke before laying flowers and fruits as offering to the gods, hoping that the new Year of the Rabbit would bring good fortune, health and fewer natural disasters.

Some of the congregation released birds in the temple yard in what they saw as a casting away of bad luck.

Sukendro, 50, a resident of Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, said he delivered a prayer to the Earth god, Thow Te Kong and Kwan Yin, the goddess of compassion, to send good fortune and health to his entire family.

“I also prayed that there would be no more disaster in Indonesia,” said Sukendro.

He went to pray at the Hian Tan Keng temple because it was one of the oldest Chinese temples in Jakarta.

“Most people pray in this temple rather than temples in their neighborhoods. I come here every year to celebrate the New Year. This is one of the oldest temples in Jakarta,” he said.

According to the Chinese calendar, the year 2562 marks the change from the Tiger year, which symbolized violence and power, to the Rabbit year, which many believe to be a year of good fortune. Many people hope that the Rabbit year will bring the dividends of the hardships from the Tiger year.

“I wish for a better year ahead and less natural disasters,” said May, a resident of Cengkareng, Banten.

A member of the temple’s management, Yu-Ie, said the temple was built in 1950 and had become one of the favorite places to pray during New Year and Cap Go Meh, the 15th day after the lunar new year which marks the end of the new year’s festivities.

“A stream of people have come and gone since last night,” he said.

Other than members of the Chinese community, dozens of beggars expecting alms have flocked to the temple as well.

Chinese dole out ang pao as gestures of sharing wealth, luck and joy. The money slips are usually distributed later in the afternoon.

The distribution of ang pao in Pluit, North Jakarta did not go as planned on Thursday afternoon, however.

A swelling number of locals who lined up for the money — and food supplies — caused a commotion at one of the private residences on Jl. Karang Manis VII, in Pluit.

Locals formed a 50-meter-long line before the alms distribution started at 8 a.m. The well-wishers hustled and tussled to get first in line.

Private security guards and members of the Penjaringan Precinct police were deployed to the scene.