by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani

JAKARTA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Krisnawati Damanik, 42, poured water over her body, drawing it from one of the seven wells lined up in front of her. As she moved from one well to another, she bathed herself while reciting prayers and expressing her hopes.

She was among many people performing the same ritual, queuing at the seven wells in the Gayatri Temple in Depok City, West Java, Indonesia.

The bathing ritual with water from the seven wells has been an annual tradition among the local Chinese-Indonesian community in Depok during the Chinese New Year.

"This ritual is a way for us to seek blessings, health, fortune, social status, and a life partner. We believe these wells have the power to bring prosperity and cure diseases," Damanik told Xinhua on Wednesday at the temple.

The bathing ritual is just one of many unique traditions practiced by Chinese Indonesians celebrating the Chinese New Year across the country.

In Solo, Central Java province, locals held Grebeg Sudiro, a cultural festival blending Chinese and Javanese traditions. During the festival, hundreds of traditional new year treats, such as rice cakes, steamed buns, and onde-onde (glutinous rice balls filled with palm sugar), were stacked into small mounds, which people eagerly scrambled to collect.

Suharyono, a local resident attending the event, said he participated every year and usually managed to collect many rice cakes -- except this year. "I only got one rice cake. There were too many people, and I arrived a bit late. But hopefully, this one rice cake will bring us many blessings this year," he said on Wednesday, showing his rice cake to Xinhua over a video call.

Meanwhile, Fatima Az-Zahra, a Solo resident who do not celebrate the Chinese New Year, said she attends the festival every year to experience the joyful atmosphere.

"I cherish the sense of togetherness among people. To me, this kind of tradition is not just for one community but for all citizens. There is no difference between us. Also, I am happy to get some rice cakes -- my daughter loves them," she said.

In Selatpanjang City, Riau province, locals celebrated the Chinese New Year with a water war known as Ciancui, where people splash water on each other to mark the start of a prosperous new year.

According to the Ciancui Festival official website, managed by the Riau regional government, participants ride motorbikes carrying buckets and toy water guns filled with water.

They followed designated routes, playfully splashing water on other participants standing along the roadsides, who, in turn, splashed water back at them. Men, women, young and old all took part in the festivity, which has also drawn foreign tourists and photographers.

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka emphasized the importance of unity and harmony during the Chinese New Year celebrations, highlighting Indonesia's diverse society.

"The Chinese New Year is not just a celebration for the Chinese community, but also a moment to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among all Indonesians," he said, as quoted on the vice president's official website. Enditem

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