Festival Cian Cui dari Budaya Komunitas Menjadi Event Tahunan di Kota Selatpanjang 2015-2025

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of the Cian Cui festival from a tradition of the Chinese community into an annual  event in Selatpanjang city, Meranti Islands Regency, from 2015-2025. The study  focuses on changes in festival management, the objectives of the festival, and the roles of the community and the government. This study employs a historical methodology involving heuristic steps, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. During the heuristic process, the author collectec official documents from the tourism office, administrative maps of Meranti Islands Regency, online news articles, previous studies, journal articles, and conducted field observations and interviews with members of the Chineses community’s evening strolls. Initially, this tradition was celebrated only within the Chinese community with relatively simple activitie, until finally, in 2017, the government began taking over the event, transforming it into an annual tourism event. As promotions and tourist numbers increase, the implementation of the Cian Cui festival increasingly incorporates local cultural elements and attracts visitors from outside the region. These developments are then followed by the strengthening of security regulations from year to year.  Generally, the meaning of Cian Cui is to foster closeness, purify the soul and oneself in preparation for the Lunar New Year, and to promote tolerance, mutual cooperation, solidarity, and togetherness between the Chineses community and the local community of Selatpanjang.