Hotels fully booked for Zheng He festival
Hotels fully booked for Zheng He festival
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
Most of the star-rated and budget hotels in Semarang are fully
booked as the celebration of the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's
voyage draws near.
The majority of the people booking accommodation are
Chinese-Indonesians who are coming from all over the country for
the celebrations between Aug. 3 and Aug. 7 in the Sam Poo Kong
and Tay Kak Sie temples and the Central Java Trade and Promotion
Center (PRPP)
"We have to turn down guests because we are fully booked. Many
guests made reservations two months in advance," said a public
relations officer at the Graha Santika Hotel in Semarang, Fifie
Febriani, on Wednesday.
Fifie said all the hotel's 128 rooms had been booked from
August 3 to August 7. "We have prepared 60 rooms specifically for
guests attending the Zheng He festival. We have reserved the
remaining rooms for our regular guests," she said.
At the five-star, 200-room Hotel Ciputra there are no
vacancies either.
"We have to turn down newcomers as all our rooms are reserved.
Most of our guests are domestic tourists here for the Zheng He
celebrations," said front desk employee Ani.
Still in the Simpang Lima area of Semarang, the 160-room Hotel
Horison, which is located near Hotel Ciputra, has no vacancies
from August 2 to August 4.
"The guests are eager to see the festival," said its
receptionist Rita.
Middle-of-the-range hotels like the Elizabeth Hotel are also
turning potential guests away. A receptionist at the hotel said
that all their rooms had been booked since last month.
Only 10 percent to 20 percent of the reservations have been
made by foreign tourists.
Public enthusiasm over the festival is also evident in the
number of exhibition stands offered at the PRPP complex.
Organizing committee member Giantoro Wibowo said only 50
stands had been prepared. "(But) There is still a demand for
stands. We have to build new ones so they won't be disappointed,"
he said.
In the Chinatown area of Semarang such as on Jl. Wot Gandul,
Jl. Baru, Jl. Lombok, Jl. Warung, Jl. Pinggir and surrounding
areas, shops are selling paraphernalia, including T-shirts
depicting Admiral Zheng He, the great Chinese explorer.
Lanterns are also selling well, not to mention paper flags. In
short, many people are gaining "good fortune" from Zheng He -- a
trade and politics emissary of Yung Lo, a Chinese Emperor of the
Ming Dynasty -- who traveled throughout Asia with over 27,000 men
in the 15th century, at one point landing in Semarang.
Parking attendant Parnowo, for example, was charging Rp 2,000
for a motorcycle and Rp 5,000 for a car during Saturday night's
dress rehearsal for the festival, he usually charges Rp 1,000 for
a motorcycle and Rp 2,000 for a car.
"This is not a routine event. Even though I'm not Chinese, I
still get my share of fortune," he said.