Celebrating Chinese New Year is still ongoing in February but, a few cities in Indonesia have started to set up for celebrating rousing Chinese New Year. There are so many attractive cities in Indonesia that become tourist attractions to spend Chinese New Year vacation like Semarang city. To celebrate in Semarang is always held quite rousing and it is completed by the events of the interesting cultural festival also culinary that cannot be missed. Every corner of the city is designed with Chinese New Year characteristic trinkets and it makes this atmosphere getting more suitable. If you are interested in enjoying Chinese New Year atmosphere at the best of tourist attractions in Semarang so, you can visit place recommendations below.
1. Sam Po Kong Temple
The vacation of Chinese New Year in Semarang will not complete if you do not visit Sam Po Kong Temple. This place always carries out the events of Chinese New Year celebrations such as lion dance performance, liong samsi, magic, costume festival, modern dance, music stage, and etc. The building of Sam Po Kong consists of few parts which are a big temple, the Sam Po Kong Cave, Tho Tee Kong temple, and worship places. Basically, all of the parts in the Sam Po Kong Temple are used for worship so that, not all people can go into the number of those rooms and only people who want to worship can enter.
Whereas, for tourists still enjoying the beauty of temple building and its history from the outside. Sam Po Kong Temple can be stated that one of the central Chinese New Year celebration which is quite rousing in Semarang. This temple is actually the former heritage or landing and the first stopover by Zheng He who is a Chinese admiral and he is Muslim but, most people call him Cheng Ho. Moreover, this temple is always crowded by tourists with the purpose of worship or just taking photos. Therefore, please make sure to be not missed the rousing events which are held in this place to celebrate Chinese New Year.
2. Semawis Market
Semawis Market in Semarang is also known as Chinatown tourism which is quite popular to visit. Chinese New Year celebration in this place can be said as the heaven of culinary tourism in Semarang. Chinese New Year celebration every new year is always designed with the culinary festival that will be ready to pamper visitors’ tongue. These Chinese cuisines are basket cake, cakwe, meat bun, and the various noodle types that will fulfill this place. Besides, there also other delicious culinary such as soto, nasi pindang, chicken rice, porridge, beef satay, nasi gudeg, tripe fried rice, ice hawa, ice puter, seafood, and etc.
Even though there are a lot of non-halal cuisines or it uses the pig as the basic material, do not worry if you are Muslim because of still many other halal cuisines. Besides, the visitors can enjoy a variety of delicious traditional food until contemporary food, they also can watch Chinese culture performance like potehi puppet that tells about the heroism of Chinese character.
Furthermore, do not be missed to follow Tuk Panjang tradition which is usually held at Semawis Market as an opening sign of Chinese New Year celebration in Semarang. This tradition is attended by a hundred people from a variety of different religions and sitting together while enjoying the food dishes. Those food dishes usually are Shanghai soup, Cap Go Meh spring roll, Hainan chicken rice, broccoli and shiitake mushroom, Obar Abir market snacks, ice lengkeng bak. Tuk Panjang tradition is not only followed by invited guests but also, the tourists who come can participate and enliven it.
3. Tay Kak Sie Temple
Tay Kak Sie is a temple that is located on Jalan gang Lombok, Semarang. This temple has been built since 1746. Initially, it is only for the worship of Kwan Sie Im Po Sat, Dewi Welas Asih. However, this history of Tay Kak Sie Temple in Semarang is often visited as the best tourism in Semarang. In addition, this Tay Kak Sie Temple as the largest of a temple in Semarang holds rousing Chinese New Year every year celebration and it does not be missed.
Every year, the various activities are held in this temple. For instance, giving red envelopes (Angpao) and some parcels for underprivileged people. The foundation of Tay Kak Sie Temple prepared 1.250 red envelopes and parcels that will be given for underprivileged people at Chinese New Year celebration in 2018. Moreover, it will be the highlight of Chinese New Year celebration which takes place lively and crowded. Therefore, Tay Kak Sie Temple also can be the choice of enjoying Chinese New Year atmosphere at the best tourist attraction in Semarang.
4. Jalan Gang Pinggir
It is not so far from Chinatown, the community of Semarang Chinatown tourism always holds the rousing cultural events every year. Particularly, this celebration will be held on Jalan Gang Pinggir until Jalan Wotgandul Timur. Street opera performance will be held openly which is started from 6 PM – 9 PM. This event always becomes the main attractiveness for society and tourists who come and take a vacation in order to celebrate Chinese New Year in Semarang.
The tourists who come to this place will have an opportunity to take some photos together with Cengge characters like Dewa Petir, Dewa Bintang Selatan, Raja Langit, Dewi Kwan Im, Sun Go Khong, 12 shio, Qin Kui, Yue Fei, and still many others. Besides, there are also a lot of booths that sell a variety of unique accessories and trinkets such as car hanger, lantern, doll, bag, ceramics, souvenir, qibao clothes, accessories, statues, painting, embroidery, and handicraft.
Well, that is all about the best tourist attractions in Semarang which are suitable to celebrate Chinese New Year together with family. To celebrate Chinese New Year in Semarang certainly becomes the right choice since there are so many events that you can visit. This matter, the government of the city always prepares the yearly events of rousing Chinese New Year and it is certainly fun to join for celebrating. Moreover, do not forget to buy popular gifts from Semarang as the souvenirs for your family and friends. At last, hope this information makes useful.
