JAKARTA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese New Year festivities draw to a close, the coastal town of Singkawang on Indonesia's Kalimantan Island came alive in a vibrant Lantern Festival celebration on Tuesday.
The Lantern Festival, locally known as Cap Go Meh, falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
Nestled between mountains and the sea, Singkawang, also known as the City of a Thousand Temples, lies about 145 km north of Pontianak, the provincial capital of West Kalimantan.
On Tuesday, the town's streets were transformed into a living tapestry of colorful floats, lion and dragon dances, and the resounding rhythms of gongs and drums.
The festivities created a vivid and immersive sensory experience, filling the air with excitement and drawing the whole town together in celebration.
For Singkawang Mayor Tjhai Chui Mie, Cap Go Meh is more than just an event; it is a deeply rooted cultural heritage that embodies the city's spirit of unity.
"Cap Go Meh symbolizes harmony among the various religious and ethnic groups in Singkawang," said Tjhai. "It demonstrates how we live together in peace, with mutual respect and support."
As an important measure to promote cultural inclusion and national unity, the Indonesian government held the Chinese New Year celebration at the national level for the first time this year. ■
