Holiday Ayo - Singkawang, the City of a Thousand Temples is known for one of the unique traditions that have been worldwide. The tradition is Tatung, which is the attraction of stabbing limbs with sharp objects. The Tatung tradition has been a hallmark of Singkawang for a long time. Tatung is usually held in the form of an annual parade to welcome the Cap Go Meh celebration.

Tatung itself in the Hakka language means people who are possessed by spirits, gods, ancestors, or supernatural powers.

The Tatung Parade in Singkawang is the largest in the world. Although it presents a sensation of tension, the Tatung Parade has become a magnet for tourists.

The Tatung procession in the Cap Go Meh celebration in Singkawang is carried out after receiving the blessing and blessing of the pagoda or monastery. The Tatung procession starts from the altar of the monastery. The tempeh (priests) made offerings to the god To Pe Kong. After asking to be blessed with salvation, they then summoned a spirit, the bodies of this Tatung were possessed by a spirit to become immune and then paraded around the city, dressed in clothes representing Chinese or Dayak community groups.

Accompanied by drums, participants in the Tatung Singkawang Parade wore glittering costumes of the greatness of the Dayak Tribe and China in the past. The Tatung attraction is filled with mystical and thrilling things. For example, there is a Tatung standing upright on a stretcher, setting foot on a blade or knife. There are also those who stick pointed steel wires into the right cheek until they penetrate the left cheek.

In China, this tradition of Tatung has become extinct, while areas in Indonesia that still have this tradition are West Kalimantan and Bangka Belitung.

For decades, these cultural beliefs and traditions have continued from generation to generation, both in mainland China and in ethnic Chinese overseas around the world. While in western countries, Cap Go Meh is considered a Chinese ethnic carnival party. Well, that was information about Cap Go Meh Singkawang with his legendary Tatung. Interested in joining this festival?