Chinese pin hopes for good luck on `peh cun'
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten
It was close to midnight on Tuesday. Hundreds of Buddhists of all ages were massed at the Vihara Nimmala, part of the large Buddhist Temple, Boen San Bio, on Jl. Pasar Baru.
They had all flocked to the Vihara with the same wish: prosperity and happiness after taking part in a Chinese traditional ceremony called peh cun.
The peak of the ceremony is the ceremonial bathing of the figurehead prows of two dragon canoes to commemorate the death of Chu Yuan, a statesman from Chu who lived between 343 BC and 339 BC. Chu Yuan is remembered as a patriotic leader well loved by the people.
Sukyatno Nugroho, a spokesman for the Vihara Nimmala, said that peh cun was celebrated at 10 p.m., on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar year.
"The peh cun ceremony used to take place on the banks of the Cisadane river (which runs through Tangerang), but we moved it here into the temple complex after the canoes were broken. We only managed to save their prows," he said.
The two dragon figureheads were placed on a verandah in the garden at the rear of the Temple. The grand Vihara Nimmala has gained entry to the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) for its unique designs.
The ceremony was led by a number of locu (Buddhist priests). After an elaborate prayer, and as the clock stroke 10 p.m., five priests began bathing the dragons' heads with water suffused with perfume and flower petals. Over 600 handkerchiefs and small towels were prepared.
Members of the congregation anxiously waited for the priests to throw the handkerchiefs and towels used to dry the dragons' heads at them. They believe these will bring them luck.
After the priests had finished bathing the figureheads, the congregation members rushed forward to collect the remaining water in plastic bags that the organizing committee had prepared. This holy water is also believed to bring luck.
"My wish is for a husband and security," said Rita Puspitasari, 19, an attendant who managed to get hold of some water and a towel.
Shinta, 23, who works in a Pasar Paru dispensary, had similar wishes: good health, security and the man of her dream.
Tjin Tjoeng Tjen, 52, a mother of three children from West Jakarta, is among those who attend the ceremony every year hoping for good luck.
"We belief in the many spiritual benefits of this ceremony," she said.
Chinese traditional meals were served during the ceremony. The most peculiar are kwicang and bacang, which are both served in big cones and consist mainly of rice and meat. Fruit is also distributed.
"These were the foods that the Chinese dropped into the river to distract the fish and stop them eating Chu Yuan's body," said Indadata, alias Lim Kiat Beng, one of the five priests.
According to Trisno Budijanto, chairman of the foundation managing the temple, Cho Yuan was a poet, a statesman and a great warrior. He was born in Chu, a kingdom in old China. When he became a minister, he was slandered and was exiled by the king to the northern side of the Han river for 30 years. And when he was 50 years old, he was again exiled to the southern side of the Yangtze river so that he could do nothing to help when the kingdom fell into chaos.
Cho Yuan, however, did not stand idly by and watch the kingdom being ruined. Instead, he committed suicide by jumping into the Milo river near Tungting lake. News of his suicide shocked the people.
Rowing dragon canoes, the people then took to the river in their thousands to look for his body, but to no avail.
Peh cun is celebrated every year by people of Chinese descent all around the world.