Imlek Chinese New Year decorations color the city
Imlek Chinese New Year decorations color the city
JAKARTA (JP): Ornaments of Imlek Chinese New Year have started
to color the street kiosks at the busy Chinatown of Glodok in
downtown Kota of West Jakarta as the annual celebration is just
weeks away.
On Friday, vendors along the crowded 300 meter street of Jl.
Pancoran have already put on display a variety of red-dominated
ornaments and accessories for Imlek, which this year falls on
Feb. 5.
The merchants believe that their business this year will be
much better than last year since the authorities have been more
accommodating towards Chinese culture.
Afung, a longtime trader selling Imlek ornaments at the same
kiosk every year, said he now has courage to display his
merchandise more openly and in more variety because he believes
that people will not bother his business.
"Last year, I also ran this same business but on a small scale
since I still doubted whether the authorities really accepted
things related to the Chinese," he recalled.
Now, we feel free to display and sell these ornaments," the
merchant explained.
Like the other dozens of kiosks offering Imlek accessories in
the area, Afung's offer a wide range of merchandise, from paper
lanterns, to cakes, candies and envelopes for angpau.
Some of the vendors also offer Chinese-style clothes for
children and big papermade barongsai lions.
At a corner of Afung's shop, colorful paper-made dragons, the
astrological sign for the upcoming Chinese lunar year, are also
on display.
The presence of the Imlek ornament traders has apparently
narrowed Jl. Pancoran and led to fairly serious traffic
congestion.
Some merchants have broadcast songs related to the celebration
to enlive the celebratory mood among the Chinese.
According to another trader, Steven, a large number of Imlek
revelers were shopping a few days before the recent Idul Fitri
and bought several ornaments.
Both Steven and Afung worried that their stocks won't meet the
estimated growing demand for Imlek ornaments this year.
Steven revealed that most of the ornaments were shipped from
Malaysia, China and Taiwan.
"We import almost all of the things, even a small thing like
the paper lanterns," he said.
Afung added that even the suppliers have limited stocks at
their warehouses.
Akong, another trader, said the cookies and candies have to be
imported from the three countries.
"Local (Chinese) people here are still unable to make
qualified Imlek Chinese candies and cookies," Akong explained.
Luckily, the number of suppliers of the Imlek goods have
continuously spiraled upwards.
"In the past two days alone, at least three new suppliers
offered me their merchandise," he said. (ind)