Kota Kinabalu: About 3,000 colourful lanterns will light up Tanjung Aru beach during the inaugural Sabah International Lantern and Folk Arts Festival 2019.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the festival is scheduled to be held from Feb 1-May 10, next year.
It is going to be held by the Silk Road International Industry Development Group, Sichuan Silk Road Business School, Sabah Institute of Art, Chengdu Bashanmei Culture Communication, China Zigong Lantern Culture Industry Group, in collaboration with the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry, Sabah Tourism Board, and the China Consulate in Kota Kinabalu.
"This is the first time for an international lighting company to hold such event in Sabah, and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal is expected to attend the official lighting up ceremony," said Liew, Wednesday.
"The festival venue will be from Prince Phillip Park until Tanjung Aru First Beach…along a three-kilometre stretch." She said the lanterns will showcase a mixture of local attractions of flora and fauna as well as Chinese culture.
"It is going to be a good platform for cultural exchanges between Sabah and China as there will also be food stalls and performances," she said.
Liew said the festival is also part of the ministry's measures to revitalise Tanjung Aru beach.
"We started with the Tanjung Aru Beach Festival to be held for three days starting this Friday (Nov 23), and the Sabah International Lantern and Folk Arts Festival 2019 will be the second large-scale events to be held in Tanjung Aru beach. "Tanjung Aru beach has always been a favourite spot for Sabahans, especially city folk and foreign tourists.
"As such we are planning to organise more events there like musical performances and festivals."
Silk Road International Industry Development Group executive director cum chief executive officer Chen Jian Bo said the Sabah International Lantern and Folk Arts Festival is a good avenue to promote Sabah.
"As a visual art, the lanterns have the universality of transcending text – a world language.
"In the past five years, China has held various forms of international exchange lanterns which is an important force for the lantern industry and a new channel for the development of international cultural interaction.
"Under China's national 'One Belt One Road' strategy development, the lantern industry also shoulders the important mission of spreading Chinese excellent culture and promoting world culture," he said.
Meanwhile, Liew disclosed that the State Government is still reviewing the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) project and nothing has been finalised.
"However, as long as we have the beach, we will continue to use it as well as to promote it," she said.
Also present were Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Junz Wong, Sabah Tourism Board (STB) general manager Suzaini Sabdin Ghani and Sabah Institute of Art President Prof Datuk Dr Wilson Yong. - Ricardo Unto
Source: Daily Express
