Thousands expected to observe Imlek

JAKARTA: Some 40,000 people from various Asian countries are expected to stream into Indonesian popular destinations such as Bali and Batam to celebrate the Chinese New Year, known as Imlek, which falls on Feb. 16.

An official at a tour operator, Nurdin Purnomo, said the timing was good because on Feb. 15 to Feb. 17, performances organized for the ASEAN Arts and Culture Festival would also be held in Bali.

Nurdin was quoted by Antara as saying that a number of major travel agencies in Asia confirmed that tourists, especially from Singapore and China, would be arriving in Bali and other destinations in Indonesia to celebrate the holiday.

Nurdin also spoke of the campaign to establish Batam as the largest center of "religious tourism" in Asia, citing the recent opening of Asia's largest Maha Vihara Maitraya place of worship.

After attending religious services, he said, people usually go to shopping centers on the island. (swe)