Semarang set for Sam Po Carnival
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
An interesting program that will take place during Zheng He's 600th Voyage Anniversary Celebrations this year in Semarang will be the Sam Po Carnival. In the carnival set to be held on Aug. 4, thousands of Confucian, Buddhist and Tao adherents in the city will parade Zheng He's statue, called Sam Poo Tay Jien (Admiral Zheng He), from the Tay Kak Sie Temple in Lombok Street to the Sam Poo Kong Temple in the Simongan area. The distance between the two temples is about five kilometers.
Zheng He, also called Cheng Ho, was a Chinese Muslim admiral and explorer whose voyages throughout the world 600 years ago have been discussed in many quarters. As a trade and politics emissary of the Chinese emperor, he and his 27,000 men in some 200 ships traveled around the world over a period of 28 years in the 15th century.
The essence of the carnival rituals are as a remembrance of Zheng He and token of gratitude to Zheng He for the peace and friendship he promoted during his stay in Semarang 600 years ago.
Besides Zheng He's statue, participants will also parade statues of Zheng He's aides, namely Lauw In and Thio Ke.
According to historian Soenarto, the Sam Po carnival rituals started in the 19th century. At that time, Sam Poo Kong Temple was owned by a Semarang resident. As the resident imposed a fee on people wishing to pray at the temple, the Chinese community decided to place another Zheng He statue, which had been to Semarang from China, into another temple, the Tay Kak Sie, which started construction in 1771.
Having placed the statue in the Tay Kak Sie Temple, people non longer needed to pay for their prayers. The ownership of Sam Poo Kong Temple changed in the 19th century, and the new owner pleased the people by allowing them to pray at the temple for free. People celebrated this with a carnival, which then became an annual carnival.
The carnival this year will begin a day before the main function held on Aug. 4. On the night of Aug. 3, people and the elders of the Tay Kak Sie Temple will pray together in order to make the carnival a success. At 4 a.m. the next day, carnival participants will be ready in front of Tay Kak Sie Temple to follow the carnival proceedings. An hour later, the participants will begin the carnival with the flags of Tay Kak Sie and Sam Poo Tay Jien being carried at the front. Behind the flag carriers, two men beating drums will be a signal that an important person will soon pass the area. Right behind the drummers, there are two people bearing placards reading "Shu King" (Please, be quiet) and "Hui Bi" (Don't block the road).
The convoy will be followed by Zheng He's symbolic guards bearing spears and swords, then by carriers of musical instruments, a carrier of the Main God Ashes whose ashes are put in a small pot, a horse that symbolizes Zheng He's horse, and behind the horse, people symbolizing Zheng He other guards.
Behind the guards will be people carrying a sedan chair where the statues of Zheng He's aides Lauw In and Thio Ke will be placed. Then, behind this, there will be a large sedan chair where the statue of Zheng He will be placed. The sedan chair containing Zheng He's statue will be carried by eight people. Behind Zheng He's sedan chair will be people carrying incense, large umbrellas and musical instruments. The convoy will be two kilometers long. After they pray in the Sam Poo Kong Temple, they will return to the Tay Kak Sie Temple in the afternoon.
The carnival is only one of the many programs celebrating the anniversary of Zheng He's visit to Semarang 600 years ago. Other programs on the committee's agenda are a Barongsai competition, a trade exhibition, live music and others to be held in three locations, namely Tay Kak Sie Temple, Sam Poo Kong Temple and Central Java's Trade and Promotion Center in Marian Beach, Semarang.