Indonesian Community in Bendigo Easter Parade

Every year Easter Festival commemorates in Bendigo. This year, the festival conducts within four days Friday to Monday, from 10 to 13 April 2009. On Monday, the big parade is held which participated by numerous groups and institutions. This parade also a part of "Sun Loong" Dragon attraction (the longest Chinese Dragon in the World) that only performs once a year. Thousands of people gathered to watch the parade whom mostly are coming outside of Bendigo, even from overseas.

This year Indonesia community is also invited by the council to participate. After absent last year, now the community eager to carry fantastic performance to the crowd. Around 80 people join the Indonesian parade group, who are plenty of them are not native Indonesian. Some of them are students from Ambonese, some are Indonesian residents. The rests are Australian who interested with Indonesian culture and students from local schools.

The Indonesian group comprises of people who wear traditional dresses (such from Aceh, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Bali and Molluccas). Around ten of them dance Kuda Kupang, play gendangs and gongs, while the others just walking and waving their hands to audiences. Three pedicabs (becak) accompannies the group to create the uniqueness. The group walks through the city centre in the route for about 2 km.

As the parade over, Sun Loong comes as the closing ceremony. It's amazing to wonder how big and long it is. The parade started from 11.00 and finished at 13.00. Afterwards, Bendigo becomes quiet and calm again.