Semarang set for Sam Po Carnival

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.