CELEBRATION OF THE ARRIVAL OF ADMIRAL CHENG HOO, Semarang's Culture
Barongsai
Every lunar year on the 30th day of the sixth month, the anniversary of Zheng He's arrival in Semarang, Chinese Indonesians parade statues of Zheng He, Lauw In, and Thio Ke from Tay Kak Sie to Sam Poo Kong.[6] Started by Sam Poo Kong again became free to use, the carnival is meant to show respect to the explorers.
"Sam Poo Thay Jien" means the "Big Guy of Sam Poo", the alias for the famous Chinese Admiral Zheng He (popularly called Cheng Ho), who led his crew ashore in what is now Gedung Batu, Simongan, Semarang. Sailing from China in 1405, he landed in the area in 1413. His entourage consisted of 62 ships and 27,800 crew members.
A geologist said the Sam Poo Kong temple, which was built by Cheng Ho, was situated at the tip of the Garang River. At that time, the estuary of the Garang River was 1,000 meters wide and some 50 meters deep, so Cheng Ho and his fleet were able to sail up to the mouth of the river.
During his stay in Semarang, Cheng Ho, a devout Muslim, built Sam Poo Kong. The building is thought to have originally been a mosque, but later it was turned into a temple. The building consists of the main building, the Hok Tik Tjin Sien Temple (the Earth God), the Ship Captain Temple, the Anchor Temple and several smaller temples.
According to a book by historian Slamet Muljana, Cheng Ho landed in Semarang in order to repair his ship. Flanked by his trusted aides, Ma Huan and Fe Tsin, Cheng Ho prayed at Sam Poo Kong daily. The building was turned into a temple in 1434, after Cheng Ho died in Nanking, China, in 1431.
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