INDONESIA: SCUBA DIVERS CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH LION DANCE IN SEA WORLD AQUARIUM

Record ID: 859249

  • Title: INDONESIA: SCUBA DIVERS CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH LION DANCE IN SEA WORLD AQUARIUM
  • Date: 12th February 2002
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (FEBRUARY 12, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF SEA WORLD AQUARIUM SLV PEOPLE GOING INTO SEA WORLD SLV VISITORS WALKING UNDER BIG AQUARIUM SCU FISH IN AQUARIUM VARIOUS SCUBA DIVERS PREPARING BEFORE THE SHOW (4 SHOTS) WIDE OF SCUBA DIVERS WITH LION COSTUME SWIMMING WIDE OF FISH IN THE AQUARIUM WITH SCUBA DIVERS AND LION VARIOUS, SCUBA DIVERS DANCING IN LION COSTUME IN AQUARIUM WIDE OF SCUBA DIVERS DANCING WITH FISH AS PEOPLE LOOK INTO AQUARIUM VARIOUS, OF SCUBA DIVERS IN LION COSTUME SWIMMING WITH FISH CLOSE UP OF FISH TOP SHOT OF AUDIENCES WATCHING THE SHOWS VARIOUS, FISH SWIMMING PAST LION AND SCUBA DIVERS (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Bahasa) METTY SANDER, ORGANIZER, SAYING: "At Sea world we having a unique show to celebrate this Chinese New Year. We used to have lion dance on the land, but now, our team has decided to try and have it underwater" SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) TOURIST, SAYING: "I think it very good that it is being celebrated in this way. There are a lot of Chinese people in Indonesia and they should have their own celebration as well" VARIOUS, LION DANCE IN THE AQUARIUM (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
  • City:
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAMI7ZVZDNL07K6FWJQ45LVLAG
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: In a truly unique celebration of the Chinese New Year, a group of Indonesians has performed a traditional Lion Dance underwater in the local aquarium.
    As millions of Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year in more traditional ways, four scuba divers at Jakarta's Seaworld performed with their 8 meter Lion costume in front of a bemused audience of skates and reef fish.
    "At Sea world we having a unique show to celebrate this Chinese New Year. We used to have lion dance on the land, but now, our team has decided to try and have it underwater" said Metty Sander the event organiser.
    It certainly wasn't a vintage performance likely to win any competitions but for decades, under the autocratic ruler Suharto, ethnic Chinese in Indonesia were banned from celebrating their holidays at all.
    It was President Wahid who revoked the decree in 1999 allowing the Chinese community the freedom to celebrate in public for the first time in 2000.
    "I think it very good that it is being celebrated in this way. There are a lot of Chinese people in Indonesia and they should have their own celebration as well" said a foreign visitor.
    For ethnic Chinese in Jakarta, the Year of the Horse and its bad tidings began early when many had their belongings washed away by severe flooding this month. Some of the worst floods caused havoc in traditional Chinese areas of the city.
    Public confusion has also greeted the start of the New Year, with the government giving those marking the event an "optional" holiday.
    Ethnic Chinese form only some three percent of Indonesia's population but have long been the target of resentment and occasional waves of mob violence because they dominate commerce.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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