There is a "Sweep the Universe" March in the 2024 Cheng Ho Procession
Citizen News 
The highlight of the 2024 Cheng Ho Festival, which will take place from 2 - 4 August, is the procession of the Kimsin (statue) Kongco Sam Poo Tay Djien from the Tay Kak Sie Temple, Gang Lombok, Chinatown, Central Semarang to the Agung Sam Poo Kong Temple, Simongan, West Semarang. The celebration procession welcoming the 619th arrival of Sam Poo Tay Djien or Admiral Cheng Ho took place, Sunday (04/08/2024)
Thousands of people poured out along the road along the Kimsin Kongco Sam Poo Tay Djien procession which was accompanied by other kongco from various temples from other areas. This procession ritual starts at 05.00 WIB from the Tay Kak Sie Temple with a route passing through Gang Warung, Kranggan, Depok, Pemuda, Siliwangi, Banjir Kanal and ends at the Agung Sam Poo Kong Temple, Simongan, Semarang, Sunday (4/8 ) Morning.
The carnival or procession is the peak of the celebration when the Tri Dharma faithful parade a duplicate Kim Sien (statue) of Cheng Ho from the Tay Kak Sie Temple. The procession on foot carries the stretcher of Cheng Ho"s statue. Other participants carried statues of two of Cheng Ho"s bodyguards. The palanquin of Cheng Ho"s statue is large enough that eight people had to carry it. In the front row were flag bearers Tay Kak Sie and Cheng Ho"s great flag. Meanwhile, the arts of lion dance, liong and reog also enliven the cultural carnival. Along the journey, the presence of Admiral Cheng Hoo"s Kongco procession was greeted enthusiastically by the public.
There is also the Bhekun line, namely they consist of people who have vowed. They wear various costumes with their faces made up like Chinese figures from the past.
The procession, march or carnival lasts for almost three hours. What"s interesting in this carnival is that there is a troop of broomsticks wearing blue uniforms carrying broomstick weapons. This troop was initiated by Boen Hian Tong (Rasa Dharma) no less than 182 people ago, around 182 people joined, commanded directly by the Chairman of BHT Harjanto Halim. The Sapu Jagat troops were joined across ethnic lines, the front row dressed as clowns Semar, Bagong, Petruk and Gareng.According to Harjanto, the Jagad Sweep Squad consists of two sets of words, namely broom and universe. Broom means a tool used to clean something. Meanwhile, universe means nature, universe, cosmos or world.
"So the Universal Broom can be textually interpreted as a natural cleanser, namely the cleanser of the universe, in the sense that it is a symbol for achieving goodness in this world and the hereafter. "So his job is to clean the roads so that everything runs smoothly," said Harjanto.
Thousands of people poured out along the road along the Kimsin Kongco Sam Poo Tay Djien procession which was accompanied by other kongco from various temples from other areas. This procession ritual starts at 05.00 WIB from the Tay Kak Sie Temple with a route passing through Gang Warung, Kranggan, Depok, Pemuda, Siliwangi, Banjir Kanal and ends at the Agung Sam Poo Kong Temple, Simongan, Semarang, Sunday (4/8 ) Morning.
The carnival or procession is the peak of the celebration when the Tri Dharma faithful parade a duplicate Kim Sien (statue) of Cheng Ho from the Tay Kak Sie Temple. The procession on foot carries the stretcher of Cheng Ho"s statue. Other participants carried statues of two of Cheng Ho"s bodyguards. The palanquin of Cheng Ho"s statue is large enough that eight people had to carry it. In the front row were flag bearers Tay Kak Sie and Cheng Ho"s great flag. Meanwhile, the arts of lion dance, liong and reog also enliven the cultural carnival. Along the journey, the presence of Admiral Cheng Hoo"s Kongco procession was greeted enthusiastically by the public.
There is also the Bhekun line, namely they consist of people who have vowed. They wear various costumes with their faces made up like Chinese figures from the past.
The procession, march or carnival lasts for almost three hours. What"s interesting in this carnival is that there is a troop of broomsticks wearing blue uniforms carrying broomstick weapons. This troop was initiated by Boen Hian Tong (Rasa Dharma) no less than 182 people ago, around 182 people joined, commanded directly by the Chairman of BHT Harjanto Halim. The Sapu Jagat troops were joined across ethnic lines, the front row dressed as clowns Semar, Bagong, Petruk and Gareng.According to Harjanto, the Jagad Sweep Squad consists of two sets of words, namely broom and universe. Broom means a tool used to clean something. Meanwhile, universe means nature, universe, cosmos or world.
"So the Universal Broom can be textually interpreted as a natural cleanser, namely the cleanser of the universe, in the sense that it is a symbol for achieving goodness in this world and the hereafter. "So his job is to clean the roads so that everything runs smoothly," said Harjanto.
