Government Stages Imlek Nusantara Parade, Reflecting Spirit of Indonesian Unity
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency Irene Umar formally opened the Imlek Nusantara Parade 2026 at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta. The parade serves as the culmination of the National Imlek Festival activities running from 22 February to 1 March 2026, functioning as a cross-cultural meeting space reflecting the spirit of unity and diversity in Indonesia.
Irene emphasised that the staging of the Imlek Nusantara Parade, coinciding with the month of Ramadan, reflects the nation’s values of unity and inclusivity through cross-sector collaboration involving government, communities, the private sector, religious leaders, and the public. She made this statement while opening the Imlek Nusantara Parade on Saturday 28 February 2026.
“Indonesia is the most inclusive nation because diversity is not merely something we proclaim, but something we demonstrate and experience every day. This Imlek celebration does not belong to one group, but to all Indonesians, regardless of ethnic, religious, or racial background,” Irene stated in a written statement on Sunday 1 March 2026.
She explained that the Imlek Nusantara Parade featured cultural processions blending Chinese and Nusantara traditions, including mounted police and female officers, decorated vehicles and art troupes, dragon and lion dances, marching bands, Jakarta’s Koko Cici performances, Bedug Yudha Asri, wushu and pencak silat demonstrations, jaran kepang (hobby horse dancing), and ondel-ondel (traditional Jakarta dolls).
The parade began with a Long March from Jakarta Cathedral towards Lapangan Banteng and was symbolically opened through a drum strike by cross-sector representatives.
Various regions, including Pontianak, Surakarta, Medan, and Semarang, actively participated as parade entrants, showcasing Chinese cultural performances combined with local Nusantara culture throughout the parade route.
Irene, in her capacity as Chair of the National Imlek Festival, noted that the selection of the parade area located between Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral serves as a powerful symbol of harmony and tolerance, simultaneously affirming that diversity forms the primary foundation of national life in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and Vice-Chair of the National Imlek Festival Stella Christie highlighted the importance of cultural spaces as vehicles for public education in understanding the history of pluralism and cross-cultural contributions to Indonesia’s national journey.
“Indonesia’s national identity is shaped collectively through a lengthy process of acculturation. Many cultural elements we know today emerged from encounters between various cultures, including the contributions of the Chinese community in history, language, cuisine, and national struggle,” said Stella Christie.
Through the Imlek Nusantara Parade 2026, the government reaffirmed its commitment to making cultural celebrations not only a unifying space and reinforcement of pluralist values, but also an ecosystem encouraging the growth of creative economy based on collaboration, mutual cooperation, and diversity.
Various officials and national figures witnessed the Imlek Nusantara Parade 2026, including Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Deputy Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Veronica Tan, North Maluku Governor Sherly Tjoanda, Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti, and Executive Director of the National Imlek Festival Jago Anggara.
The celebration of the Imlek Nusantara Parade 2026 represents an important moment for the government to reaffirm its commitment to making culture a unifying space for the nation. Beyond mere ceremony, this event was designed as a strategic ecosystem encouraging the growth of creative economy based on collaboration, mutual cooperation, and diversity.
Aligning with this vision, Artha Graha Peduli (AGP) together with Artha Graha Network through its operational unit Bank Artha Graha Internasional (BAGI) provided comprehensive support through a series of concrete actions touching on environmental and grassroots economic empowerment aspects.
Commitment to Environmental Cleanliness
As a form of social responsibility, Artha Graha Peduli (AGP) conducted a Saber (Sapu Bersih rubbish-sweeping) initiative. This initiative aimed to ensure that the parade celebration maintained environmental cleanliness.
With the spirit of mutual cooperation, the AGP team ensured that every activity area remained free from rubbish, setting a new standard for environmentally-friendly cultural festival implementation in Indonesia.
MSME Advancement Through Digitalisation
On the economic side, Bank Artha Graha Internasional (BAGI) played a vital role in upgrading the level of MSMEs participating in the parade. Through QRIS payments, BAGI promoted digital transformation in every transaction.
To stimulate visitor enthusiasm and merchant revenue, BAGI introduced a special cashback programme, expected to increase sales volume whilst accelerating digital financial literacy among small business operators.
“This collaboration is a concrete manifestation of private sector synergy in supporting the national agenda. We want this cultural celebration to be not only visually beautiful, but also environmentally clean and economically strong for MSME operators,” said Hanna Liles, a representative of Artha Graha Peduli management.
Through the integration of cultural preservation by Artha Graha Peduli, environmental care, and digital economic strengthening by Bank Artha Graha Internasional, the Imlek Nusantara Parade 2026 is expected to serve as a benchmark for sustainable cross-sector collaboration for national progress.