In a historic first, the Indonesian government has hosted national-level celebrations for the 2026 Chinese New Year, recognizing the Spring Festival as part of the country's official cultural calendar.
A festive atmosphere is sweeping across Indonesia as a series of Spring Festival events are underway.
In Semarang, a city known for its large overseas Chinese community, a vibrant temple fair has become a major highlight.
The fair offered a dynamic mix of cultural performances. In addition to the traditional dragon dances, a special horse dance was performed to mark the Year of the Horse, which is a Year of the Horse in the 12-animal Chinese zodiac.
The musical lineup was equally diverse, featuring both Indonesian and Chinese songs, offering local Chinese and Indonesian residents an immersive cultural experience.
"Celebrating the Chinese New Year holiday here feels quite similar to being back home, because the festive atmosphere here is also so strong. I feel that the relationship between China and Indonesia has grown increasingly close in recent years, which makes us overseas Chinese feel truly warm," said Ding Menglu, an overseas Chinese in Indonesia.
Alongside the evening festivities, a daytime cultural bazaar offered visitors a chance to soak up the holiday spirit and sample traditional cuisine. For the first time ever, the Chinese Consulate General in Surabaya also hosted a New Year event at the fair, drawing enthusiastic participation from attendees.
"This year's Spring Festival atmosphere is incredibly strong this year. We made a special trip from Jakarta to Semarang just to experience the joy of celebrations firsthand," said Veronica, a tourist.
The three-day temple fair in Semarang is part of Indonesia's inaugural national Chinese New Year Festival, themed "Archipelago Harmony," scheduled from February 17 to March 3, 2026, at Lapangan Banteng in Jakarta.
The celebration will feature lantern festivals, culinary and creative market festivals, an open museum showcasing Chinese cultural acculturation, the Nusantara Chinese New Year Parade, and other inclusive public events. Parallel celebrations will also take place in cities including Singkawang, Palembang, Solo, Semarang, Manado, Makassar, Surabaya, Medan, Bogor, Batam and Pontianak.
Indonesia hosts first national-level Chinese New Year celebrations
