Temple gears up for Imlek<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang<\/p>\n
The three-story roofs looked elegant, even though several
\nbuildings on the right and left were not yet completed and the
\ntiles were not yet in place. But the main pillars, 75 cm wide,
\nhad been beautifully carved with dragons.<\/p>\n
The main building of the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Semarang has
\nbeen under renovation for the last two years.<\/p>\n
Before the renovation, undertaken by the Sam Poo Kong
\nFoundation under Priambudi Setiakusuma, the main building, which
\nis a holy cave and a house of worship, was only 16x16 meters in
\nsize, but now it is a much more spacious 34x34 meters.<\/p>\n
On entering the big hall, visitors to the temple see 10 carved
\nornaments on a six-meter high wall that describes the journey of
\nAdmiral Cheng Ho, ambassador of Emperor Yung Lo of the Ming
\nDynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1643. Cheng Ho traveled to
\nSoutheast Asia, South Asia and the African coast in 1404-1425.<\/p>\n
"Under the ornaments there will be a commentary written in
\nIndonesian, English and Chinese describing Cheng Ho's journey for
\nvisitors," said deputy of the renovation project, Hartaya Budi
\nHarsana.<\/p>\n
Head of the project, Ganda Wijaya, said the renovations would
\neventually cover all buildings in the 3.2-hectare site.<\/p>\n
"When this project will finish, I can't predict. But if the
\nmoney is there, we'll keep on working. The money comes from
\ndonations in Indonesia. There are also some Chinese people in
\nChina who helped with tiles for the main building. The tiles are
\nready to be placed on the roof," he said.<\/p>\n
Once completed, the area will have an amphitheater, man-made
\nlake, parks, food courts. It may well be the biggest temple in
\nSoutheast Asia, serving not only as a place of worship but also
\nas a tourism asset.<\/p>\n
In August, the temple will commemorate Cheng Ho's arrival in
\nthe city. One of his legacies is a water source that never runs
\ndry, located right under the main temple building.<\/p>\n
Balinese carvers were assigned to create carvings on the main
\npillars and the walls. Ganda Wijaya said he toured China for two
\nmonths to learn about carving styles at various temples there.<\/p>\n
At the Sam Poo Kong Temple, visitors were not only those of
\nChinese descent, who often crowd the temple during Chinese
\ncelebrations such the Lunar New Year, but also local people, who
\ncome to the temple the night of Kliwon. Kliwon is the name of a
\nday in the 5-day Javanese week.<\/p>\n
"Many local people come here to ask for blessings. They
\nusually get what they ask for. They come from Klaten, Brebes and
\nas far as Purwokerto," said Darwinto, a local resident.<\/p>\n
Whereas in other temples visitors usually bring incense to
\npray, at the Sam Poo Kong Temple some visitors also bring
\nflowers.<\/p>\n
"Javanese visitors pray their own way. But usually, when they
\nget rich, they come back here to hold a thanksgiving party," said
\nMaryuni, a flower seller.<\/p>\n
Tee Han Kiat, a Semarang resident, has his own hopes for the
\nongoing renovation project.<\/p>\n
"With the renovation, the temple will become tourism asset,
\nnot only locally but also internationally," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/temple-gears-up-for-imlek-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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