A street in Jakarta with a huge dragon decoration draws the attention of Chinese New Year merrymakers. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Indonesians ushered in the Year of the Dragon as the country’s presidential and national elections set for Feb 14 went into high gear.

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Chinese New Year, known locally as “Imlek Holiday”, was marked with public festivities in various parts of cities and other areas in the archipelagic nation. They included cultural dragon and lion dance performances, family gatherings, and the giving out of ang paos (red laisee packets) among residents.

Local Chinese communities hold "Imlek" celebrations in Sumatera Utara, Indonesia, during Chinese New Year. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Local Chinese communities went ahead with traditional family gatherings but were much affected by traffic jams on their way to special lunches and dinners on Feb 10 – the first day of the Lunar New Year Day. On the same day, two of the three pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the upcoming polls held separate election campaigns at the largest sports stadiums amid huge publicity in the capital city, Jakarta.

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As a tradition, Catholic Church congregations in Jakarta organized special liturgies, featuring Mandarin-styled songs and dances.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.