Indonesian Chinese celebrate Lunar new year

Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesians of Chinese descent in many parts of the country  celebrated Imlek or Chinese New Year  on Thursday (7/2).
    
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government had declared the first day of  Chinese New Year a public holiday.
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In Medan, North Sumatra, where ethnic  Chinese constitute the largest minority group in the population, they, on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, flocked to Buddhist temples, especially the Setia Budi temple, the biggest in the city, to worship and pray.
    
They prayed for their health, success and fortune for the future. They later distributed money to  needy people who were already waiting  outside the temples.
   
Mitra Wijaya, a resident of Medan, said  Chinese families usually get together on the eve of the  new year  to wait for the coming of the new year. In the morning, they go  to the temples for prayers and then they hold family gatherings again, he said.
    
In Bandarlampung, southern Sumatra,  Chinese went to the Thay Hin Bio temple, the oldest temple in Bandarlampung, and other temples such as Banten and Amurwa Bhumi Graha.
    
On Bali Island, the Lunar New Year 2559 was observed by many ethnic Chinese, both local residents as well as domestic tourists, by a visit to  Dharmayana temple at Kuta.
   
The celebration was highlighted by the performance of a lion and dragon dance called barongsai presenting three lion and two dragon dancers. The dance is believed to be able to neutralize the universe so that human beings could enjoy a peaceful and harmonious life.
   
A provincial level Imlek celebration is scheduled to be held in Denpasar,  capital of Bali, on February 10, and expected to be participated in by members of at least 30 ethnic Chinese organizations.
   
Imlek was also celebrated by Chinese  in Jakarta, Palembang (South Sumatra), Kotabaru (South Kalimantan), Ambon (Maluku), Singkawang (West Kalimantan), Surabaya (East Java), Manado (North Sulawesi), Banten, and Batam. (ant)