SPECTACULAR SIGHT:
Fireworks light up the sky over Sibu Town Square Phase I, the hosting venue of this year’s Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF). The colourful pyrotechnics on Saturday night marked the end of the 10-day annual event, with an estimated 50,000 people converging on the town square to witness the grand closing ceremony.
SIBU: About 50,000 people from all walks of life from the central region jam-packed Sibu Town Square Phase One to watch the grand finale of Borneo Cultural Festival ( BCF) 2017 on Saturday night.
They were glued to their seats as they enjoyed the colourful traditional and modern dance performances by the dance troupes.
The perfect weather greatly helped in making the event proceed smoothly as planned.
Among the foreign troupes that performed during the grand finale were the impressive Ngangklung Ceria AABB from Indonesia and Gulou Sanshan Art Troupe from China.
The creative and talented dancers from SMJK Yu Hua Kajang, Selangor entertained the crowd with their Malay traditional dance performance – the ‘ Inang Asli’, The Path and Sumirid Dance.
The local troupes included the Borneo Spectrum with their sape and ngajat dance performances, Akar Nading of SMK Pakan, Hornland Dance Theatre, SJK Su Lai, Sri Swangsa Sibu, Sibu Martial Arts ( Quan Shu) Association, the One Dance Studio and Danger Crew.
The closing ceremony was made merrier with the presence of the guest of honour, Second Minister of Finance and also Minister of International Trade and EGrand Commerce Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh; his wife Datin Sri Pauline Leong; Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King; SMC deputy chairlady Rogayah Jemain, Sibu Resident Hii Chang Kee; all the sponsors for BCF 2017, SMC councillors and community leaders.
Organised by SMC, the BCF 2017 was held from July 20-29.
The BCF 2017 came to a close with the fantastic burst of fireworks display that lit up the sky above Sibu Town Square Phase One and Two.
The Borneo Cultural Festival was first hosted by SMC in 2002.
Initiated by the Sibu BN Visionary Development Team, they had hoped to make Sibu the gateway into the colourful Rejang.
Since then, the festival has been hosted annually in July as a platform for ethnic Dayak, Malay-Melanau and Chinese communities to showcase their culture, food, dances, music, art and livelihood.
Tiong has repeatedly praised the people for their active participation, saying their hospitality and goodwill have helped make the annual event a great success.