Siniawan comes alive with dragon lantern ahead of CNY 2024
BAU: The quaint town of Siniawan in Bau District comes alive with the vibrant colours from the decorations adorning a specially-made dragon lantern, setting the stage for this year’s Chinese New Year celebration.
Inspired by ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon-themed lanterns incorporate the vivid traditional colours of red and gold, each piece exhibiting its own symbolic significance.
For the local residents and visitors alike, they are captivated by the mesmerising spectacle.
Siniawan Town Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) chairman Kapitan Bong Boon Kah said it was the committee that had suggested creating these decorations for the upcoming festivities.
“The dragon’s head and tail are made from materials imported from China, and its body is adorned with lanterns.
“The dragon stretches at a length of 298 feet (90.8m),” he told The Borneo Post when met at the town last night, adding that it took local artisans two weeks to complete the job.
“It was a complex process as we needed to use steel to hang the lanterns on the dragon’s ‘skeleton’.
“With the Siniawan Night Market being held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we must ensure the safety of the visitors coming here to enjoy food.
“We have to install the dragon on the roofs, with proper safety measures. That’s why it took a bit longer,” said Bong.
The dragon lantern is a part of the annual festivities upheld by the JKKK Siniawan Town during the festive season, which also feature various events such as the lantern festivals and other cultural celebrations.
“Every year, we organise and run this under JKKK Siniawan Town. After Chinese New Year, we continue the celebration until the 15th day, which is Chap Goh Mei on the lunar calendar. This celebration lasts for 15 days for us,” Bong added.
The local community leader, however, said the committee had taken in external labour to assist because of the height.
“The height makes it more challenging to decorate the dragon on the roofs.”
Back on a cheerful note, Bong hoped that tourists would flock to Siniawan, capture memories here and celebrate Chinese New Year together.
“The goal is to attract tourists and promote Siniawan. During the holidays, many visitors come from outside the country, including Kuching, Miri and Indonesia.
“As long as there’s a consecutive holiday lasting for two to three days, this town would be bustling,” he said.
Earlier, Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh performed the eye-dotting on the new lion’s head at the Buddhist Temple in Siniawan, before continuing with the lighting up of the dragon lantern at the town square.