Indonesia Performs Underwater Chinese Opera

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Celebrating the Lunar New Year, a tourist site in Jakarta, Indonesia, held a Chinese opera performance inspired by the Chinese legend of Sampek Engtay. But this is no ordinary opera performance - some of it is performed underwater along with dolphins.

Who does not know about the Chinese legend of Sampek Engtay?

To celebrate the Lunar New Year in 2012, the love story of Sampek Engtay was presented by Ocean Dream Samudra in Jakarta.

The story begins when Sampek and Engtay start to like each other and are rejoicing and dancing.

But this excitement does not last as their relationship does not get the consent of Engtay’s parents.

Sampek and Engtay go into profound sadness when they aren't able to continue their relationship.

To declare their love for each other, Sampek and Engtay pin a ring on a reef on the seabed.

The Chinese opera performances on land and underwater involve more than 15 players and 4 dolphins.

[Daniel Windriatmoko, Ocean Dream Samudra]:
"We arrange the performance above and below water to urge people to love the sea. We adopt the Chinese legend of Sampek Engtay to keep it alive in people's memory.”

Indonesian Chinese have only been allowed to celebrate the Lunar New Year since 2000, when late President Abdurrahman Wahid repealed the decree passed by his predecessor, Suharto, in 1967 banning the ethnic Chinese from celebrating their new year in public.

During Suharto's iron-fisted rule, Indonesians of Chinese origin were not allowed to express their ethnicity.

This was part of a move to assimilate the Chinese, many of whom were active participants in the economy, to the government's ideology.

In 2001, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri declared the Chinese Lunar New Year a national holiday.

Ethnic Chinese make up three percent of Indonesia's 220 million people...