Dragon, lion dances top 'Imlek' festivities
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With Chinese New Year fast approaching, the city is gearing up for some lively festivities.
A lot of the malls and hotels have organized a string of events to celebrate the ancient holiday, or Imlek as it is better known here, which happens on Saturday. Among them is the magnificent barongsai (lion dance) and the liong (dragon dance).
This year's festivals are expected to be quite exuberant especially as it is the first time that the government has declared it a national holiday.
The decision was made after restrictions against Chinese arts and culture were lifted following the downfall of former president Soeharto, who had banned its celebration, along with other Chinese traditions. At that time, the Chinese community celebrated the event quietly at home or at the Chinese temples across the country.
Over the past two years, Chinese New Year was simply an optional holiday for everyone.
The city has come alive with the joyful Imlek atmosphere.
Mal Ciputra Jakarta in West Jakarta will host the barongsai, which will be performed during the epic The Story of Tai Chi on Sunday, at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. It is the highlight of a string of events held to commemorate the start of the Year of the Ram from Jan. 22 to Feb. 22.
The public will also get a chance to have a photo with the barongsai.
In observance of Imlek, Plaza Indonesia in Central Jakarta is giving a special offer with every purchase for nine days starting on Saturday. Chinese traditional dances and martial art demonstrations will be held at Lamoda Cafe on Feb. 9.
Fortune tellers will be ready to read visitors' good luck for the coming year in the east corridor of the mall's ground floor on Saturday and Monday, while an exhibition of Chinese paintings will be held from Feb. 14 to Feb. 23 in the west corridor on the ground floor.
On the eve of Chinese New Year, the Millennium Hotel, Central Jakarta, is set to hold a traditional dragon dance before dinner starts in the lobby lounge. The dragon dance and lion dance will also be performed at the Lotus restaurant at the Jakarta Hilton International hotel on Friday and Saturday.
Ancol Dreamland (Taman Impian) will hold a two-day dance performance at their swimming pool, the Ocean Theme Park and the Dunia Fantasi amusement park on Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, Governor Sutiyoso is scheduled to join the New Year's celebrations at the Hailai in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Wednesday, during an event held by the city's organizing committee.
Those who celebrate Chinese New Year pray to the gods and their ancestors at temples in the hopes of having good luck and a prosperous year ahead.
The festivities will reach a climax on Feb. 15, which is popularly known as Cap Go Meh.
On the eve of the Year of the Goat, many people go to Chinese temples to pray.
"More people come to temples on the eve of Imlek because by praying right when the year changes, they believe their prayers will be answered," Salim, an attendant at Toasebio temple, Jl. Kemenangan III, West Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Some others, he said, will pray on Feb. 8 as they believe it will bring them more fortune "because the Chinese word for eight, ba, is sounds like the word for bloom".
Combining the festivities for Imlek and Cap Go Meh, the Toasebio temple, under the management of the Dharma Jaya Foundation, will stage a parade to celebrate the Chinese, Betawi (native Jakarta), Balinese and Javanese cultures on Sunday, Feb. 16.