Thousands of worshippers gather in Riau Province in Indonesia each year to relive a century-old Chinese fisherman’s ritual: the burning of a handmade boat to pray for good fortune.
The Bakar Tongkang Festival in Bagansiapiapi has become an annual event that can be traced back to the journeys of early Chinese settlers, who arrived here by sea from east China's Fujian Province over a century ago.
Once the settlers had decided to stay, they burned their boats as a symbol of their commitment to this new land.
"We have several ethnicities here. There are Malays. There are Chinese. So our goal is to publicize the name of our town Bagansiapiapi through its history and tourism. One of the famous tourist attractions is Bakar Tongkang, which we are currently commemorating. The meaning of this festival is very important because it was the beginning of the history of the city of Bagansiapiapi. So the Chinese community here built a new civilization, which is now known as one of the largest fish producing cities in the world," said Rio Almusata, chairman of the Hokkien Chinese Community in Bagansiapiapi.
During the ritual, a vessel is ceremoniously transported from a nearby temple, surrounded by a collection of papers inscribed with wishes and prayers.
Locals said the boat's direction when it finally falls can predict the future. If it falls towards the sea, they say, that means prosperity for the fishing community. But if it falls towards the land, they say a fruitful harvest for farmers is in store.
Bakar Tongkang Festival celebrated in Indonesia
As foreign trade is an important part of China's open economy and a driving force for national economic development, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said China will step up efforts to promote innovative development of its cross-border commerce.
In a recent interview with China Media Group, Wang said that China's foreign trade in goods grew by 3.8 percent year on year to reach 45.47 trillion yuan (about 6.53 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, hitting a new record and marking the first time that the volume has exceeded the 45-trillion-yuan threshold. The country is also expected to maintain its position as the world's largest trading nation in goods in 2025.
He stated that the global economy currently faces insufficient growth momentum, persistent geopolitical tensions, and a marked slowdown in trade expansion. The World Trade Organization has also revised its projected growth rate for global trade in 2026 downward to 0.5 percent, reflecting heightened uncertainty in the international trade environment.
In the face of significant challenges and mounting risks, China this year will advance the coordinated development of goods trade, service trade, and digital trade in a comprehensive and systematic manner, with the aim of ensuring stability and resilience in foreign trade performance, Wang stressed.
"We will consolidate and expand diversified markets. We will do a good job in hosting important exhibitions such as the Canton Fair, attract more overseas buyers to attend and purchase, and increase support for enterprises to participate in exhibitions abroad. We will guide the healthy and standardized development of new forms and models of foreign trade such as cross-border e-commerce. China has reached 23 free trade agreements (FTA) with 30 countries and regions. We will support and guide enterprises to make good use of these agreements to expand trade exchanges," he said.
China will promote balanced trade development in 2026, said Wang, adding that it will actively expand imports through measures such as coordinated exhibition events and targeted procurement.
"We will continue to expand the influence of the 'Export to China' brand, hold a series of matchmaking events, make full use of various trade promotion platforms including the China International Import Expo, leverage the role of national demonstration zones for import trade promotion and innovation, enhance the facilitation of import trade, optimize the sources and structure of imported goods, and better meet the needs of industrial development and people's pursuit of a better life," he continued.
China to promote innovative development of foreign trade
