Cat In Jin De Yuan

Jin De Yuan founded in 1650, the oldest Chinese temple in Jakarta, was bustling with activity. There were many altars in the precinct and there were people praying in front of every altar. Many people visit the temple to pay their respects in the hopes of having a good Chinese New Year. The precinct was filled with incense sticks and candles offered by worshippers.

Most of the visitors seemed to be locals, and many of them were dressed very casually. There seemed to walk in off the street. Fortunately or unfortunately, this temple is not such a major tourist attraction that people from abroad come here all the way. In the precinct of this temple, the local worshippers were quietly preparing to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Red candles were placed all over the precinct of the temple to celebrate the Chinese New Year. And some of them were so thick that they looked like sandbags. The candles in this photo were part of a number of candles that were burning in the temple.

As I watched the flames of the candles, I noticed a cat in front of the candles. It was sitting there nicely. Maybe this cat also came to wish a good Chinese New Year.