30m-tall Christmas tree wows the crowd
SIBU: As the popular chorus goes – “Oh, Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches”.
However, one Christmas tree in the town square here has been getting taller each year.
This year, at over 30m tall, it looks majestic and is the scene of a Christmas tree decoration contest with 12 other trees decked out in their finest.
The contest was introduced by the Sibu Municipal Council in 2010.
Sibu Municipal councillor Connie Loh, who is also the organising event chairman, said the centrepiece had been getting taller with each passing year.
She said in 2016 it was over 24m tall and “grew” to 27.4m last year.
Since the lighting ceremony on Dec 10, the glittering decorations on the main tree and the other 12 have been attracting scores of visitors and selfie enthusiasts.
The square is also the starting and ending point for the town’s traditional Christmas parade.
The trees will remain in the square until New Year’s Eve, during which the winners will be announced with the main prize of RM2,000.
“The 12 participants are from the different Lions Clubs in the region.
“They each took about a week to set up their Christmas tree, most of which is equipped with a sound system playing carols.
“Previously, corporate bodies and schools took part in the contest.
“This year, we decided to limit the competition to only Lions Clubs,” Loh said.