Dragon, lion dances top 'Imlek' festivities

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.