Red Sedan

I spotted this red sedan on display at BCF (Borneo Cultural Festival).

This means of transport has long become obsolete. Grab an opportunity to see for yourself in BCF 2010!

BCF 2009 - The Grand Finale

A magnificent scene of the fireworks. Photo by Ah Chiong.

Sibu Teochew Association made it available for the first time in Sibu this Taiwanese specialty "fried oyster cake" to tickle the taste buds of Sibu food lovers.

The fireworks lit up the whole of the sky of Sibu last night. It was such a breathtaking scene that it mesmerized all those present at the Sibu Town Square.

It was simply a fascination! The colourful fireworks brought BCF 2009 to a grand finale. When Sibuians bade farewell to this cultural event, they had in their hearts much to look forward to BCF 2010 in terms of cultural and tourism promotions.

A postmortem on BCF should particularly focus on fixing its date early enough for foreign tourists to plan their trips, and launching a more extensive publicity to create greater awareness.

As the sky sank into darkness after the glamorous fireworks, greater hope glowed in Sibuians of an improved BCF in the year to come!

BCF 2009 - The Food Fair

Sibu Foochow Association's stall is where you will find Foochow specialties like "lay pian" (marriage cake) and "mang chiu ko".

Hakka Association treats the visitors to its unique specialties.

A live cooking station - Melanau foods are a must for visitors!

A Dayak stall.

A Malay corner where you are able to sample the mouth-watering Apam Bali (Mini & Special).

Kebab - a delectable Malay food. Don't miss it out!

Kacang Kuda - It is extremely affordable at RM 1 per cup.

A Malay pastry stall.

Chang Chuan Association's hotly popular stall.

Foods are an integral part of our culture.

In most of the cultural events, foods are brought into play and they add attraction to the festivals.

The Food Fair of BCF is where you can't afford to miss. Different ethnic groups present a wide variety of delectable specialties.

The seven major Chinese dialect groups set up their individual stalls to offer a rare opportunity for visitors to sample their delicacies.

Grand Cultural Parade & Lantern Procession

I took part in this evening's Grand Cultural Parade & Lantern Procession. My digicam is just a humble equipment, but it was handy enough to allow me to snap quite a few pieces of photos for sharing.

The detailed write-up shall follow.

A Double Cultural Event - BCF & National Chinese Cultural Festival

The grand stage. Photo: Meng Lei

A scene with jostling crowds. Photo: Meng Lei

Sibu is ushering in two cultural events of promunence - the 8th Borneo Cultural Festival and the 26th National Chinese Cultural Festival ( or Pesta Kebudayaan Tionghua Ke-26 in our national language).

The twinning of the two has made Sibu a bustling town with a lot of outside guests coming in to partake of the grand events. The Foochow town is instantly submerged in a sea of cultural atmosphere.

I was very much moved by the colourful cultural extravaganza. The blend truly fasters our appreciation for the richly diverse culture in Malaysia. In essence, this promotes harmony in our multi-racial society where tolerance and understanding are crucial.

I took about one hour to make a round in Sibu Town Square where BCF and NCCF are held back to back.

There was this impression that the crowd this time was less than the previous year. Could the A(H1N1) influenza outbreak have held back some?

Maybe my mind is too preoccupied with the disease!

Thank you, Meng Lei, for the photos.