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Don't miss the exciting Bogor Cap Go Meh Street Festival!

 

This forthcoming Cap Go Meh (the 15th day of the Lunar New Year and pinnacle of celebrations) will also be festively celebrated in the cool city of Bogor, located only 60 km from Jakarta, or about an hour-and-a-half drive via the toll road. Located at the foot of Mt. Salak, Bogor is famous for its huge botanical garden, the out-of-town Presidential Palace, Biology Museum and best of all: cozy restaurants serving delicious European and Indonesian food.

With a substantial population of Chinese descent, Cap Go Meh here is also gaily celebrated through the Bogor Cap Go Meh Street Festival, to take place on 11 February 2017 along the major Surya Kencana Road. Around 2,500 participants from all communities and art studios will follow the parade, watched by tens of thousands of cheering crowds expected to gather along the streets for this great event. The theme this year is : “Cap Go Meh-Bogor Street Festival, Uniting the Nation through Cultural Events,” thereby expressing the conviction of the beauty of diversity which is truly celebrated together.

Don't miss the exciting Bogor Cap Go Meh Street Festival!
Image via lovelybogor

Chief Executive of CGM Bogor Street Festival 2017, Arifin Himawan, explained that “the parade will start with a procession of Sundanese cultural music and dance, that include the Sisingaan tradition, Calung and RampakTambur. These will be followed by traditional Chinese guardian icons in the shape of dragons, and lions. This will again be followed by palanquins carrying Chinese deities symbolizing Eyang Suryakancana, Hok Tek Tjeng Sin, Kwan Im, and Kwan Kong to be again followed by more groups of lion dancers , here known as Barongsai, who come from various regions, even from Taiwan,” said Arifin.

Don't miss the exciting Bogor Cap Go Meh Street Festival!
Image via lovelybogor

The CGM Street Fest is not only tailored to unite people through Cultural Events, but it is hoped to be heard by the whole the world that the Bogor’s Spirit aims to celebrate the Beauty of Diversity. The parade will start from Lawang Surya Kencana gate and finish at the Budhasena Batutulis Monastery.

To secure public safety and convenience, along the way, there will be public facilities, fire fighters and medical teams standing by to service visitors. Thousands of street vendors will also be around to sell souvenirs and scrumptious culinary delights. Separately, Mrs. Reko Astuti Esthy, Deputy for Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Tourism stated that, “to the city of Bogor, Cap Go Meh is not just a festival of a certain religion but it has transcend into a cultural event that all can enjoy. It has been an inseparable 100 years old annual gathering, and displays the plurality of Bogor, uniting them in harmony through arts and cultural rhythm."

It is envisaged that through such events, Bogor will pull in more domestic and international tourists, thereby increasing the city’s economic value , spreading welfare to its inhabitants.

So make sure to be there!

 

Photo Source: Hello BOGOR

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