The vibrant streets and bustling shopping malls of Jakarta have come alive with traditional music and dragon puppet dances as Indonesia prepares to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Communities across Asia will mark the Lunar New Year on January 29, with 2025 being the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac. Festivities, including fireworks and parades, aim to dispel misfortune and invite prosperity.

In Indonesia, home to millions of people with Chinese heritage, crowds gathered to enjoy performances featuring traditional dragon and lion puppets. These intricate creations, some as long as 65 feet (20 meters), are operated by groups of performers walking underneath interconnected sections, with drummers adding a rhythmic backdrop.

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In the weeks leading up to the celebrations, performance troupes rehearse tirelessly in makeshift spaces, such as the back of a small coffee and snack shop. Local residents, including women and children, often stop by to watch these practices. During quieter periods, the puppet heads are stored on shelves.

Just days before the Lunar New Year, one troupe loaded their puppets and performers into a truck for a mall performance, with others following on motorbikes. At the venue, hundreds of spectators were captivated by the drumming and puppet dance. Enthusiastic applause accompanied the show, and some audience members presented “angpau” — red envelopes containing money traditionally given during special occasions — by placing them into the puppets’ mouths.