Only Religious Activities, TMII Did Not Hold The 2023 Chinese New Year Special Event

A number of visitors took selfies during the 2023 Chinese New Year celebration at Kleteng Kong Miao TMII (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The manager of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) did not hold a special event to welcome the celebration of the 2023 Chinese New Year. "We don't have a special event. Only religious activities in Kleteng Kong Miao have been going on since Saturday night," said TMII Executive Director Emilia Eny Utari when confirmed in Jakarta, Sunday, quoting Antara.

In Kleteng Kong Miao itself there are only Confucian communities who are carrying out religious activities. However, there are also several visitors who are taking selfies at the pagoda.Monghuniwan of the Indonesian Confucian Religious Council (Matakin) Wenshi Vekky Mongkareng said that Matakin's leadership has indeed limited Chinese New Year celebrations only to religious activities, even though the government has revoked the policy for the Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM). During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, the Chinese New Year celebrations were not as lively as the previous four years. "Frankly, this year, and the last three years the activities have been very limited. There used to be lion dance activities, meetings with interfaith figures and the government," said Vekky.

One of the visitors, Desi (25) admitted that she came to this temple to see the Chinese New Year celebrations.

However, he regretted that this Chinese New Year celebration did not have a lion dance attraction that could enliven the Chinese New Year atmosphere, but only religious activities.

"Yes, so I only took photos in front of the temple," he said.