Ipoh Parade’s Mid-Autumn Festivities Reach Zenith With Roaring Lions on High Poles
As Ipoh Parade wraps up its Mid-Autumn Celebrations this year, the Acrobatic Lion Dance Championship presented a spectacular showcase of Chinese cultural tradition combined with fundamental Chinese Martial Arts on high poles performed to rhythmic, vigorous drum beats enthralled the audience last weekend at the Main Court of Ipoh Parade.
Co-organised with Catholic High School Alumni Association (CHSAA) Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe and Pertubuhan Tarian Singa Dan Naga Hong Teik, Malaysia, 12 elite troupes from all over Malaysia battled for the whopping RM17,200 prize pool.
This is the second time the association had worked together with Ipoh Parade to organise the championship. Ipoh Parade’s Advertising and Promotions Department Assistant Manager, Lim Huey Tyng said, “We are glad to have brought back such a riveting event that is much loved and sorely missed by the community. Everyone enjoys a lion dance performance, especially an acrobatic one performed 8 feet above the ground. With this, the celebration at Ipoh Parade has come full circle, and we are happy to end it on a high note.”
The result of the championship is as follows:
CHAMPION
Persatuan Tarian Naga & Singa Khuan Loke, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Prize: RM5,000
1ST RUNNER-UP
Persatuan Tarian Naga dan Singa Rawang Selangor
Prize: RM3,000
2ND RUNNER-UP
Kuantan Builder’s Association Lion & Dragon Dance Club
Prize: RM2,000
Being Eco-conscious While Keeping Traditions Alive: Ipoh Parade’s 3rd Lantern-Making Contest Returns
Ipoh Parade’s 3rd Lantern Making Contest, jointly organised with 23 Lions Clubs in Perak, attracted over 110 participants for both the On-site and Off-site challenges and concluded with a colourful array of fantastical lantern designs last Saturday. With prizes totalling RM3,450 up for grabs across both categories, creatives around town spared no expense in designing some of the most splendid and at times outrageous lanterns with recyclables, proving that one man’s waste is truly another man’s ticket to victory.
As the saying goes, traditions are kept alive by passing the baton from generation to generation. This is especially true for the Teh family, whose 2 brothers, Teh Ming Jin, 12 and Ming Hing, 11, both snagged the title of Champion and 2nd Runner-up for the On-site Challenge in Category A. Their mother, Mdm Lee, 39, a clerk, learnt lantern making since she was a child from her mother, Mdm Yap, 58. She is now sharing her passion with her two sons. She has submitted 2 lanterns for the Off-site Challenge.
Taking home RM400 worth of cash and prizes for the Off-site Challenge is an 8 year-old boy, Tham Yi Hong, accompanied by his grandmother, Mdm Loh, 54, who spent the past 3 weeks completing the lantern named Environmental Friendly Jade Rabbit.
The Lions Clubs has also invited 15 children from the Rainbow Children’s Home to join in the festive fun by taking part in the On-site Lantern Making Challenge.
“Year after year, the designs never cease to amaze us,” remarked Lim Huey Tyng, Ipoh Parade’s Advertising & Promotions Assistant Manager. “We are truly appreciative of the support given by all participants for the contest, and the craftsmanship witnessed only improves with each passing year. Even the limitation of using primarily recyclables couldn’t stop these participants from producing some of their best work, and we’re all the happier to be the conduit for their creativity.”
The Champion for On-site Category A (10 – 12 years old) and Category B (13 – 15 years old), as well as Off-site Challenges took home RM400 in cash and prizes, while the 1st and 2nd Runner-ups won RM300 and RM200 in cash and prizes, respectively.
Throughout its Mid-Autumn celebration, Ipoh Parade also treated shoppers with an array of cultural activities, such as the highly-anticipated LED Lion Dance and Lantern Parade, Oriental-themed Arts & Crafts workshops, the gravity-defying Acrobatic Lion Dance Championship, a calligraphy demonstration, and a sculpture exhibition.
Ipoh Parade would like to thank its valued sponsors for the event, which include Dzi Kingdom, Focus Point, Fly Flot, Starbucks, MOG, Illusion Optical and Dees, all of whom have contributed much to elevate the fanfare throughout the mall during this festive season.
