Cap Go Meh in Singkawang, Pontianak

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

I came from a relatively traditional Indonesian - Chinese descendent that still think highly of our ancestors. So when the time came for Cap Go Meh celebration in Singkawang, Pontianak, my dad did not hesitate to give me permission to come along with my uncle to watch the celebration. It happened once a year, day 15, to mark the end of Chinese New Year. The festival in Singkawang is famous for its ‘Tatung’ parade. ‘Tatung’ is sort of the deity that every temple has. There was hundreds of ‘Tatung’ that participated in the festival. It ran for three days. The lampion parade night, the day where all the ‘Tatung’ went to the main temple to get permission from God to participate in the actual day parade, and the parade itself. During the parade, ‘Tatung’ will show that their bodies immune to sharp objects. The gurney that they sit or stand on usually made of blades. A lot of mystical things happened during my visit there. I love to see more of the world and discover something unique like this. Being a passionate traveler, to me capturing the perfect moment means a lot to me. I love how photography can give me a certain satisfaction and I believe it is a way to share stories with others. My passion for photography runs so deep inside me that I have been writing down my immigration card as photographer under occupation, when I am clearly not. I want to produce a shot that I can look back and be proud of. A shot that can bring me back to that time and place. I hope one day I can make my passion for both travel and photography as my career because I want to live and do something I love.