Giant candles to light up Lunar New Year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dedicated Chinese Indonesians in the city are
\nvying to brighten up the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration by
\noffering giant and expensive candles to their temples.<\/p>\n
Almost all Chinese temples in the city are dominated by red
\ncandles, some of which have carvings and whose price can reach up
\nto Rp 4 million (US$571.4) a pair. The candles will be lit on the
\neve of the new year.<\/p>\n
Several temple officials said separately on Monday and Tuesday
\nthat people needed to offer the candles so that their fate would
\nbe brighter next year, which is marked by the symbol of the gold
\ndragon in the Chinese calendar.<\/p>\n
An official of the Sin Tek Bio Temple in Pasar Baru in Central
\nJakarta, Hong Beng Gie, said the richer the people were, the
\nbigger the candles they would offer.<\/p>\n
\"People believe that their 'light' will last longer in the
\nfuture if the candle lights longer. That's why giant candles are
\npreferred,\" Hong said.<\/p>\n
The giant candles, about two meters high and 50 centimeters in
\ndiameter, can last for about one month and cost Rp 3.6 million a
\npair. Such candles were placed around the small temple, which is
\nlocated in a narrow aisle within the Pasar Baru shopping complex.<\/p>\n
The price of similar candles is Rp 4 million a pair at other
\ntemples. The candles are inscribed with Chinese characters --
\nwhich mean \"the whole family is saved\" -- and with the name,
\nsometimes several names, of the people who offered them.<\/p>\n
\"Several people can offer a candle together so that they don't
\nhave to individually spend too much money,\" Hong said.<\/p>\n
Another temple official, Nio Siu Siu, predicted that the
\nnumber of candles offered this year would be greater than
\nprevious years in conjunction with the new government's openness
\ntoward Chinese culture.<\/p>\n
\"Previously, some temples even limited the number of candles,
\nespecially after the city was gripped by the (May 1998) massive
\nunrest which targeted Indonesians of Chinese descent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nio said temple officials were afraid at that time that candle
\nlights would provoke people to create disturbances in the
\ntemple's compound.<\/p>\n
Both Nio and Hong said most of the candles were produced in
\nSurabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
\"Candle producers here can only produce candles of lower
\nquality,\" said Hong who, like other temple officials, claimed he
\ndid not know the location of candle producers in the city.<\/p>\n
There was a different atmosphere at Vihara Tri Ratna Temple on
\nJl. Lautze in Central Jakarta where there were no large candles.<\/p>\n
A temple official, who asked for anonymity, said the
\ncongregation had agreed to opt for homemade lanterns lit with
\ncoconut oil, to avoid the smoke from candlelight.<\/p>\n
The temple employees were covering the altars with hundreds of
\nthese lanterns, which displayed thin red cards printed with
\nChinese characters and the names of the donors.<\/p>\n
Separately, a teacher of Confucianism Bunsu, Masari Saputra,
\nsuggested that Chinese Indonesians should not compete with each
\nother when offering expensive candles.<\/p>\n
\"We should not waste a lot of money on useless things. It
\nwould be better if the money was donated for alms,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Masari said people should go to temples only to pray, but not
\nfor any superstitious reasons. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/giant-candles-to-light-up-lunar-new-year-1447893297",
"image": ""
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