Thousands expected to observe Imlek

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)