Chinese New Year marked solemnly

Chinese New Year marked solemnly

JAKARTA (JP): The Chinese New Year was marked with solemn and
restrained celebrations across the nation on Saturday.

Thousands of Chinese-Indonesians in Jakarta marked the New
Year, the first free from the restraints placed on the
celebrations by the New Order regime, by praying at temples.

The only formal Lunar New Year (Imlek) celebration was
organized by the West Jakarta mayoralty at Fatahillah Park in
front of the Jakarta Historical Museum on Saturday night. The
festival featured the traditional Chinese barongsai (lion) and
liong (dragon) dances, Betawi tanjidor and gambang kromong
musical performances and the cokek Chinese-Betawi folk dance.

Business came to a standstill at a number of shopping areas in
the city, including Jatinegara in East Jakarta, Chinatown in
Glodok, Kota in West Jakarta and Central Jakarta's Krekot and
Sawah Besar.

Most people celebrating the event chose to hold family
gatherings after praying at temples. This was the case at homes
near the city's oldest Chinese temple, Wihara Dharma Bhakti, in
Petak Sembilan, West Jakarta.

Businessman Burhanudin Ie said the subdued atmosphere was due
to the belief held by many ethnic Chinese that Saturday was an
inauspicious day.

"It is a common belief that Saturday and Tuesday are bad days
for celebrations. Moreover, my spiritual teacher said the flame
of the golden dragon (which symbolizes this New Year) is too hot
and that if we take part in festivities we will experience bad
luck," he said.

That was likely the reason why several shopping malls and
amusement centers, including Megamal Pluit, Mal Kelapa Gading and
Ancol recreational park, all in North Jakarta, chose to stage
Chinese cultural performances on Sunday.

An ethnic Chinese resident of Pluit in North Jakarta, Gunawan,
expressed hope that the government's new openness to Chinese
culture would eventually lead to acceptance by all Indonesians.

"I hope the government's stance will be followed by a general
acceptance of the culture," he said.

The sentiments and mood were similar in Tangerang, as hundreds
of Chinese-Indonesians gathered at the city's Chinese temples --
Boen Tek Nio Temple, Vihara Nirmala and Vihara Vadu Mutara -- to
celebrate the New Year by lighting red candles.

In the Central Java capital of Semarang, thousands of ethnic
Chinese residents thronged to the city's temples in the morning
and afternoon. The temples were also crowded by beggars, who
patiently waited for celebrants to distribute ang paw (envelopes
containing money).

Meanwhile, shops in the city's mainly ethnic Chinese
residential areas of Kranggan, Pekojan and Johar were closed, as
were schools with a majority of ethnic Chinese students.

"I'm happy to be able to celebrate Imlek after more than 30
years of the government's ban.

"In the past, we had to go to Hong Kong, Singapore or China
just to see the New Year's celebrations. Now, not anymore,"
Christanto, the chairman of the Central Java chapter of the
Tionghoa (Chinese-Indonesian) Association, told The Jakarta Post.

In Medan, North Sumatra, celebrations centered around
downtown's Vihara Adhi Maitreya.

For others, preparations for the New Year began days earlier,
as people booked airline tickets to celebrate the special day out
of town.

Cinabundo, a monk at Vihara Borobudur on Jl. Imam Bonjol, said
this New Year was special.

"The year of the Golden Dragon, which occurs once every 60
years, brings luck to the people. No wonder more people are
celebrating it this year," the 54-year-old Cinabundo told the
Post.

Another Chinese-Indonesian resident, Ayung, praised the
government for allowing people the freedom to celebrate the Lunar
New Year.

"But people may still be half-hearted in greeting the
government's new policy. I believe the celebrations will
gradually become more exuberant," Ayung, 27, said.

Ayung's friend, Yeni, said she expected to enjoy better luck
in the new year.

Meanwhile, Suyono, another ethnic Chinese resident, said
Chinese-Indonesians must not overreact to the government's
positive gesture.

"We must respect others while celebrating Imlek. Don't make
people of other religions feel uneasy with our attitude," the 30-
year-old Suyono said. (39/41/har/ind/sur/imn)