Lighting up city with their creativity

A giant lantern competition was recently held in George Town, featuring various eye-catching creations and elements. Nine teams from different primary schools in the city participated in the competition, organized by the Penang Chinese Town Hall. One of the requirements of the competition was to showcase creativity and eco-friendliness, prompting the students to utilize recyclable materials such as pipes, paper, plastic, towels, and other reusable items in their lantern designs.

During the two-hour competition, some participants calmly worked on finishing touches while others hurriedly applied glue to attach decorative features and tassels. Several children used battery-operated fans to quickly dry the glue, while others focused on stringing fairy lights and securing the structure with glitter tape, ensuring the sturdiness of their lanterns. The excitement among the teams was evident, with cheers erupting when they were able to complete their creations on time.

The winner of the giant lantern competition was SJK(C) Kong Min Pusat, which surprised many as a last-minute entrant. The assistant headmistress, Kang Pei Voon, explained that they decided to join the contest on the final day of registration after participating in a previous Go Green project, which left them with plenty of leftover recyclable materials. Plastic bottles were repurposed to make lights and flower petals for the lantern, a kitchen towel was used to create the moon placed on top of the lantern, and its body was made of paper. The moon featured a scene from folklore related to the festival, including the story of Chang’e.

Kang mentioned that it took the team a week to gather all the required materials, which involved the participation of 10 pupils, two teachers, and later some parents who provided assistance with the lighting. The team purposely involved students of different ages to encompass a variety of creative ideas. They were confident about their work as all their materials were eco-friendly and made from recyclable items. SJK(C) Kong Min Pusat was rewarded with RM200, a certificate, and a trophy.

SJK(C) Sum Sun secured the second place, winning RM150, while SJK(C) Sin Kang came in third and received RM100. The competition manager, Antony Choy, mentioned that a basic 1.2m-high steel structure was provided as the base for the lantern, and the rest was up to the contestants. The entries were judged based on their theme (30%), eco-friendly elements (20%), creativity (30%), and overall presentation of the lantern (20%). Each team was allowed to have 10 to 15 participants.

Choy added that the competition is an annual event held as part of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. The festival featured other engaging activities for the public, including paper lantern-making sessions, mooncake tasting, traditional games, food trucks, a Zumba session, and various traditional performances. Prizes were awarded to the winners by the guest of honor, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.