LUNDU: The two-day Chap Goh Mei celebration is enhancing further the town’s vibrancy which is already heightened by the on-going Tanjong Datu by-election campaign.
The celebration started at 3pm yesterday where groups from three different temples made a procession around the town, starting from the Tua Pek Kong Temple near Lundu Waterfront and ended at the Goddess of Mercy Temple near SJK Chung Hua Lundu.
Young people were seen as active participants in the minor procession to ‘cleanse the street’ for the procession proper today.
The minor procession ended about 4pm. It will resume at 10am today where more groups from other temples in Lundu will join to make the procession merrier.
Low Chung Hei, 59, born in Kpg Selayan here, said the celebration has been an annual affair and the grandest Chinese celebration for the town.
“The procession you see now is only a prelude to the main one tomorrow. Today’s one is to ‘cleanse the streets’ to pave the way for the procession proper tomorrow.
“More groups from other temples will join the procession starting at 10am tomorrow. Again, they will march around town and back to the starting point. The procession will resume at 6pm.”
Low, a coffeeshop operator, said the major procession to be held tonight would be quite different from other processions seen in Kuching or other towns in Sarawak.
“For the procession proper tomorrow evening, there will be a parade and floats. But there are other elements to make it different from other processions in other towns of Sarawak.”
“As this is the Year of the Rooster, there will be children and adults dressing up like roosters, chicks and hens. There will be also be men dressing up like women in the drag queens show. It will be fun. Come and have a look,” she said.
She said the two-day event had been held to mark the end of the Chinese New Year celebration.
“The whole town is supportive of the event. It can be held year-after-year because of the support from everybody. We will also donate to a good cause. For those who have more, they give more and those having less, they give less.”