10m dragon to light up Wesak Day parade
GEORGE TOWN: Come Saturday, a 10m-long dragon will make its
way through the streets of the city for the annualWesak Day float procession.
The golden dragon, with its more than 5,000 pieces of
polystyrene foam scales, is made by the Sian Chye Tong Temple committee
in Hye Keat Estate, Air Itam, here.
Its youth section chairman Loh Choon Teik said, in
conjunction with the Year of the Dragon, they decided to build a bigger and better float to replace the old one, which only
measured 3m.“At the end of the float, there will be a statue of Buddha
flanked by two 4m-long dragons,” he said.
“There will also be a rotating Dhamma Wheel or dhammacakka,
which symbolises Buddha's teaching of the path tonirvana (enlightenment), behind the statue.”All set: Youth members adding the final
touches to the dragon at the Sian Chye TongTemple in George
Town .
He said it took 15 members over two months to complete the
float, adding that he came up with the concept anddesign.
“A total of RM25,000 was spent to purchase materials such as
polystyrene foam, steel, wire, wood, bamboo and lightemitting diodes (LEDs) for the float.
“We have been taking part in the Wesak Day procession since
it started in 1980. We are one of the pioneers,” he said when met at the temple.Temple committee
chairman Khoo Gim Siew said the place of worship was fortunate to have
dedicated members and thanked them for their time spent in building the structure.“We will officiate the float on the eve of Wesak Day after
the temple's annual lighting of oil lamps at 7.30pm ,”
he said.
“Other activities that day include prayers, bathing of the
Buddha statue and a vegetarian buffet,”
T
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