The pedicab called becak was parked in front of the stall doing business in front of Jin De Yuan

Pedicab called becak parked in front of Jin De Yuan — Becak parked in front of Jin De Yuan

Having finished wandering around the grounds of Kintokuin, I decided to leave the busy temple. There was nothing touristy around. It was just a residential area of Jakarta. It seemed to be a Chinatown, but there was nothing that made me feel like a Chinatown. Chinese culture was confined to the temple grounds.

We walked along a narrow approach and looked back. Across the road, I saw a gate with a plaque reading "Kintokuin" written in Chinese characters. A number of motorcycles were parked along the side of the path, giving it the feel of a neighborhood temple.

At the end of the path, a stall selling cold drinks was set up under a parasol, and a three-wheeled bicycle cab called a becak was parked in front of it. The seats are occupied by customers. He was probably on his way somewhere and wanted to buy something cold to drink. The man was having some kind of conversation with the vendor. There were many worshippers in the temple grounds, incense sticks and candles were being offered, and the atmosphere was filled with the celebration of the Chinese New Year, but once I stepped outside, the atmosphere had faded away.

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