CHINESE INDONESIANS CELEBRATE LUNAR NEW YEAR PEACEFULLY, JOYFULLY By Fardah

   Jakarta, Feb 19, 2015 (Antara) -- From Sabang in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh Darussalam to Merauke in the easternmost province of Papua, Chinese Indonesians celebrated Spring Festival 2015, or Lunar New Year 2566, peacefully and joyfully.   
   Imlek, as the occasion is locally known, fell on February 19 this year. It is the most important traditional festival celebrated among Chinese families.

        The festival incorporates the customs, beliefs and practices brought to Indonesia by Chinese immigrants who still follow the traditions passed down to them from their parents.      
   The population of Indonesians of Chinese descent is believed to be some 10 million, which is approximately 4 to 5 percent of the total population of the country, which has the largest number of Muslims in the world.

        Since 2002, the Chinese New Year has been marked as a national day on the Indonesian calendar, due to which several government offices, schools, universities and companies remain closed during the celebration.

        According to the Chinese zodiac, 2015 is the Year of the Wood Sheep, beginning from February 19 and lasting until February 7, 2016.

        The Chinese Lunar New Year holds both spiritual and social significance, according to the chairman of the South Sulawesi Buddhist umbrella association Walubi, Yonggris Lao.

        "For Chinese people in Makassar, Imlek is a special occasion as it holds spiritual, as well as social, significance," Yonggris Laos said in Makassar on Thursday (February 19).

         On Imlek, Chinese share happiness not only among their relatives but with indigenous communities, as well, he stated.

         "For this Imlek, we organized 10 events involving local communities and authorities," he remarked.

         Among these activities are Imlek Go Green, Fun and Friendship, Futsal Cup, Imlek Prayers, Imlek Loving Visits, a Chinese cultural show, a dialog on nationalism, and an international barongsai festival in Makassar.

         The South Sulawesi Association of Chinese Muslims organized an Imlek prayer event at Cheng Ho mosque.

         In addition, the ninth barongsai festival will be held from March 20 to 22 at GTC Tanjung Bunga Mall. Both domestic and international artists will participate in the event.

         In Jakarta's oldest Chinese temple, Jin De Yuan, or Dharma Bhakti, at least 15 thousand people of Chinese descent from across the country, including from Singkawang, West Kalimantan province, prayed for the spirits of their ancestors.

         "It is tradition to celebrate Lunar New Year at the oldest temple to honor our ancestors," Andi Santosa, a worshiper, noted in Jakarta on February 19.

         Worshipers brought red candles, burnt incense sticks and offered prayers at the temple built in 1650. They believe that lighting red candles can bring good fortune and burning paper will fulfill their wishes.

         The Chinese ethnic community also held a milkfish market near the temple.

         As part of the celebration, barongsai lion dances welcomed travelers at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, located in the outskirts of Jakarta, as well as at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali Island, one of the world's most famous tourist resorts.

         A man dressed as the Chinese God of Money gave away "angpao" envelopes filled with candy to children at the Bali airport.

         In Palembang, South Sumatra province, thousands of Chinese Indonesians, undeterred by the downpour, thronged the Goddess Khuang In Temple.

         The heavy rain that began early morning did not dampen the spirits of the Chinese worshipers, who visited the temple to pray for their ancestors, Deputy Chairman of the Goddess Khuang In Temple Chandra Husin stated in Palembang.

         The Chinese believe that rains during Imlek bring good luck, he pointed out. 
    In Semarang, Central Java, Chinese locals celebrated the 2566th New Year by offering prayers at temples, particularly in Tay Kak Sie Temple.

         Built in 1746, Tay Kak Sie Temple is one of the oldest temples in the city, a spokesman for the house of worship, Gunawan, stated.

         Moreover, a number of Muslim students from five Islamic boarding schools in Central Java joined a drum band parade, which started from the Hok Tek Bio Temple located in Pati district.

         The Islamic boarding schools were Roudlotul Falah Gembong in Pati, Salafiyah in Kajen, Komarudin in Gresik in East Java province, and another boarding school from Semarang.

         Celebrations for Imlek basically comprise Chinese cultural events to mark the transition of season from winter to spring, Chairman of the Pati Temple Association Edy Siswanto said.

         In Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung (Babel) province, thousands of Chinese people thronged Kwan Tie Miaw Temple to celebrate the festival.

         "Chinese devotees flocked to Kwan Tie Miaw temple between 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. local time," a staff member of Kwan Tie Miaw Temple, A. Hong, noted in Pangkalpinang on Thursday.       
    According to A. Hong, rituals and ceremonies at the temple, which was built in 1797, were held peacefully and smoothly. "We offered hundreds of thousands of incense sticks to gods and goddesses," he remarked.

         After the prayers, a barongsai show was held to entertain worshipers and local indigenous people.

         The Imlek celebrations are to be held for 15 days. Chinese Indonesians will celebrate the last day of the festival, which is known as "Cap Go Meh." 
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(f001/INE)