LUNAR NEW YEAR 2020: BATIK CELEBRATION IN BANGKOK

Posted by Joannes Joannes February 04, 2020

LUNAR NEW YEAR 2020: BATIK CELEBRATION IN BANGKOK

Blessed Lunar New Year

Selamat Imlek

Gong Xi Fat Choi.

Blessed Lunar New Year to our Chinese and Chinese-descendant friends. Chinese would deliver warm greetings, "Gong Xi Fat Choi, Xi Nian Kuai Le", or "Selamat Tahun Baru Imlek" in Indonesian language.

In Indonesia, Lunar New Year is celebrated as an official holiday. It is when Indonesians with Chinese descent would visit families and friends and celebrate the new year.

On January 26, 2020, the Year of the Rat begins. The Rat is the first of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. The Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox, becoming first.

In Chinese culture, rats were seen as a sign of wealth and surplus. In the terms of yin and yang (阴阳—yīn yáng), the Rat is yang and represents the beginning of a new day.

The friendly interaction between Chinese and Indonesia, then was Nusantara, dated centuries ago through silk trade as well as other commodities. From there, the influence of China is seen vividly in Indonesian culture, including fashion and food.

Batik Peranakan or Descendant Batik points to the Chinese influenced Batik which are still created in the coastal areas of Java, from Cirebon to Lasem. In the past, there was a celebrated Batik producing family in Solo who created a Batik cloth exclusively applying three colors, deep brown, blue and red.

The coloring process of each color took place in three different cities, namely Solo for deep brown, Pekalongan for blue and Lasem for red. Batik Tiga Negeri (Three States Batik), as it was named, is thoroughly difficult to be made and therefore was intended only to be worn by the noble families. Lasem, which has long been associated with the Chinese-Indonesian families, to date is still known for producing signature Batik pieces with unique red color, simply known Red Lasem.

From generation to generation, stories are developed not only in China but also in Indonesia and other countries about wearing red outfits on Chinese New Year that brings good fortunes and casts off all evil spirits.

To welcome the year of the Rat in Bangkok, Thailand, JET chose red colored Batik shirt designed by Josephine Komara (Obin) for Bin House. Refused to be called a designer, Ibu Obin is rather known as a cloth-maker. From the very start of her illustrious journey of career, Ibu Obin's designs beautifully blends culture together, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Western, all are inter-woven in the Batik through patterns and colors.

Stay updated with JET's fashion diplomacy adventure, follow him in Instagram (@JETANDJUNG) and twitter (@JETFABDIPLOMACY) as well as this blog (http://jetfashiondiplomacy.blogspot.com/).

Catatan Singkat untuk Rekans Diplomat dan Sahabat Batik/Wastra

Selamat Tahun Baru Imlek untuk sahabat-sahabat JET yang merayakan. Semoga Tahun baru ini membawa sukacita, kesejahteraan dan kedamaian.

Dalam rangka Imlek, JET tetap mempromosikan Indonesia melalui diplomasi Batik. Bagaimana dengan sahabat terkasih? Jangan lupa kenakan busana Batik, Tenun dan kain Nusantara lainnya saat menghadiri acara Imlek dan peringatan terkait lainnya seperti Cap Go Meh. Pilihlah yang bernuansa merah dan warna-warna pastel, simbol kebahagiaan dan keberuntungan.

Happy new year 2020 and blessed pilgrimage to you all.

Selamat Tahun Baru Imlek dari Keluarga Tandjung.

Gong Xi Fat Choi Xi Nian Kuai Le.

Blessed Lunar New Year.

From the Church of The Holy Redeemer in Bangkok, Thailand. The church is build depicting a Buddhist temple with the statue of Jesus Christ The Holy Redeemer is painted in gold and Thai wooden ornaments.

JET and Father, Mr Jos Tandjung, wore a Batik shirt by Obin for Bin House.

The melodious yet solemn entry procession of the Priest in this beautiful Holy Redeemer church in Bangkok.

At the miraculous Icon of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help.

From Wat Pho, or Temple of Reclining Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand.

15 metres tall and 46 metres long, it is an impressive site to visit and a holy shrine for Buddhist pilgrims. It is one of the Buddhist shrines visited during the period of Chinese New Year. The Buddha's feet are 5 metres long and exquisitely decorated in mother-of-pearl illustrations of auspicious characteristics of Buddha. The number 108 is an essential number for Buddhists as it refers to 108 positive actions and symbols that helped led Buddha to perfection.

JET wore a Batik shirt from Batik Komar designed by Komaruddin Kudiya, based in Bandung. Dad wore a Batik shirt from Sapto Hoedojo, based in Yogyakarta.

In the Wat Pho temple, tourists and pilgrims alike are invited to give alms by purchasing a bowl of coins, voluntarily, and drops the coins in the 108 bronze bowls which line the walls. Here is Mrs Henny Tandjung, my Mother, dropping in the coins in the bronze bowls.

The reclining Golden Buddha in a blink of an eye.

Fragrant lotus for the reclining Buddha.

With Mr Dicky Komar (the Deputy Chief of Mission of Indonesia's Embassy to Royal Kingdom of Thailand) and Mrs Wieke Dicky Komar.

At the Jim Thompson House. Thompson was an American silk entrepreneur and art collector. Born in Delaware, US in 1906, Thompson settled in Bangkok after the WWII, when his neighbours’ handmade silk caught his eye and piqued his business sense

He sent samples to fashion houses in Milan, London and Paris, gradually building a steady worldwide clientele. Stepping inside the Jim Thompson house and be fascinated with his legend as well as the growing business empire based on Thai culture, including fashion & food 🧶🧵 🍲