Borneo Cultural Festival 2007 - Grand Finale

Borneo Cultural Festival 2007 came to a close on July 7 with a display of colourful fireworks, bringing the event to a climax.

The grand finale was the begining to another greater height of BCF in 2008 as the organisers reflect on the event just concluded.

On the aspect of promoting harmony in culture, BCF deserves thumbs up. The diversity of our culture is an asset and BCF successfully brings the ethnic groups to showcase their unique culture under its banner, thereby creating better understanding.

However, on the tourism front, SMC has to put in more efforts to popularise the event in foreign tourists in order to get more arrivals of them. Planning needs to be done early enough to enable intending visitors to draw up itineraries well in advance.

We also have to improve our flight scheduling and connectivity to give enthusiastic tourists hassle-free air-travelling.

Our present air flights have been a source of disappointment to travellers, domestic and foreign alike. Don't let our tourists go back disgruntled - as we all know, once beaten ,
twice shy. So work on to upgrade this aspect of air services to attract more tourists to come.

BCF has great potentials as a puller of foreign visitors - all that is required is for us to put hands together to work for it.

The picture shows an exhibition of Traditional Chinese Wedding.

A demonstration of Wu Shu or Chinese Martial Arts .
Dayak food stalls.
A section of the trade fair.
The crowds on the grand finale night.

Borneo Cultural Festival 2007 - Fascinating Food Fair

Foods are inseparable from culture - in fact they are an integral part of it.

In a multi-cultural event like BCF, without a food fair would make it seriously lacking and dull. The BCF Food Fair has added attraction to the event, making it a lot more fascinating.

All ethnic groups in Sarawak have their individual delicacies and specialties to show off. A rare occasion, indeed, it is that a variety of ethnic foods are here for sampling at prices that are value for money. BCF is, therefore, simply a must for food lovers and gastronomists alike.

If you are fascinated by the Sarawak local cuisine, then the more you have to come to BCF. It promises a unique experience for you to bag and cherish.

The picture shows a Malay stall serving kebab, a mouth-watering Malay food. You have to try it out yourself to know.



Another Malay stall with a live cooking station preparing tumpik on the spot. If you miss the event this year, make sure you plan ahead for the next year's BCF.
Kacang putih was my favourite during my childhood. I bought some to cherish my old time memories.
Sibu Hakka Association's food stall with tempting Hakka foods which you can't afford to miss!
Sibu Teochew Association's uniquely designed stall drew my whole attentiom to it. Teochew foods - have you already tried out? Grab it if you have not!

Borneo Cultural Festival 2007

The curtain of the 8th Borneo Cultural Festival was raised on June 28 amidst a line-up of events taking place in Sibu , making the place bustle with excitement.

Sibu has been blessed with selfless ethnic groups who are more than willing to put hands together for the betterment of the central region. Seeing this as a strong point of Sibu, the Sibu Municipal Council capitalised on it and came out with BCF - a multi-cultural event for both cultural sharing and tourism promotion. That was eight years ago and BCF has since become an annual event.

BCF has done exceedingly well in putting together the local ethnic groups' cultures under the banner of BCF to promote understanding and cultural tolerance. This idea has been receptive to all the ethnic groups thus far.

In 2005, SMC blended BCF with trade fair, making the event even more diverse, albeit with divergence from the orginal objectives.

On local cultural sharing aspect, BCF has certainly delivered the goods. But on the tourism promotion front - how did BCF fare so far?

The above picture shows a live cooking station of Sibu Foochow Association.

I was caught by a melodious hymn even before I stepped into the BCF site- only too surprised to find that it came from the stall of MTS (Methodist Theological School). Located opposite to a few food fair stalls, the MTS stall conveniently balances everybody's needs -whilst the food stalls make available foods to meet bodily nourishment, the MTS stall comes in to offer foods to satisfy spiritual needs. Praise our Lord, MTS is doing a great job.