Prayer and festives mark Chinese New Year
The capital’s busiest commercial districts of Glodok, West Jakarta, and Roxy, Central Jakarta, came to a standstill Sunday as Chinese-Indonesian families closed shop to celebrate the new year.
The focus turned instead to nearby temples (photo above), where people prayed for security and prosperity in the Year of the Dog. With the prominent element of fire in the year, it is predicted the worst qualities of people – from troublemaking to glorifying in the misfortune of others – will be prominent.
As is customary for the new year, bands of beggars swarmed to the temples to collect angpao, the red envelopes filled with money that are handed out by worshippers.
With ethnic Chinese families gathering to celebrate the day together, businesses offered a variety of new year-themed attractions to bring in customers.
Divers in traditional Chinese costume captivated visitors to Sea World in North Jakarta. Malls, hotels and restaurants also put on entertainment – from special buffets, angpao money trees to traditional Chinese music and dance shows.
In Yogyakarta, Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X officiated at the opening of a Chinese cultural week, the first of its kind in the area. The event, jointly held by Chinese and non-Chinese organizations, is meant to bridge differences.
In the predominantly Chinese town of Singkawang, East Kalimantan, a huge celebration has engulfed the city, Antara news service reported. Huge fireworks displays are being held, homes are bedecked in red and businesses are closed for three days.
Ethnic Chinese living in Jayapura, capital of the country’s eaternmost province Papua, also got into the spirit of celebration. Hundreds of them packed the Arya Budha temple in Puncak Skyline in Jayapura. Varied attractions, including the barongsai (lion dance), were held to celebrate the arrival of the new year.