KUALA LUMPUR, 6 SEPT 2012 - The 1Malaysia Tourism Lantern Festival is back again for the fourth consecutive year, offering all sorts of fun and exciting activities for 10 days from 21 until 30 September 2012.

It is scheduled to be launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak at 8.00 pm on 21 Sept at Central Market, Kuala Lumpur. Minister of Tourism Malaysia, YB Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen will also grace the occasion.

One of the objectives of the event is to make the lantern festival as a new attraction to draw local and foreign tourists to visit Kuala Lumpur.

Among the highlights the festival are the giant 6-meter high 1Malaysia Lantern and the procession of colourful lanterns from Central Market to Petaling Street, by guests and the public after the launching ceremony.

The festival offers a myriad of activities comprising lantern-making demonstration, stage performances, static display of lanterns, cultural performances and lion and dragon dances. Visitors to the event will also have the opportunity to get a free dragon lantern.

In conjunction with the 1Malaysia Tourism Lantern Festival, a lantern making workshop was held in Raub from 21 - 22 July as well as for the students of SJK (C) Sam Yoke, Jalan Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur from 23 - 27 July this year. The workshops were conducted by the lantern-making experts from Taiwan who were specially brought in here by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau office in Kuala Lumpur.

Among the objectives of the workshop were to train participants the art of lantern-making skills and to nurture creativity and the appreciation of art and culture among them. This will encourage them to appreciate and preserve their own culture and tradition.

The 1Malaysia Tourism Lantern Festival is organised by Ministry of Tourism Malaysia in collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Taiwan Visitors Association Kuala Lumpur Office, Central Market, AirAsia X Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Hawkers Association and KLT Food Industries Sdn. Bhd.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. The 2.5 km lantern procession will cover:

Central Market -> Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock -> Jalan Sultan -> Jalan Hang Lekir -> Jalan Petaling -> return to Central Market.

2. The expectations of the Tourism Ministry for this event are to:

a. successfully promote Malaysia as the top-of-the-mind tourist destination in the region;

b. introduce and promote Chinese festivals to all Malaysians and foreign tourists as well as develop them as the country's tourism products;

c. instil a domestic travel culture and encourage planned holidays among Malaysians and at the same time attracting foreign tourists to experience the festivals;

d. preserve the cultural heritage of the Chinese community;

e. foster unity among the multi-ethnic Malaysians in line with the 1Malaysia concept; and

f. increase efforts under the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan where the Malaysian tourism industry is expected to contribute RM103.6 billion to gross national revenue with a target of 36 million tourists in the year 2020.

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Prepared by Corporate Communications Unit, Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia
Tel: 03-8891 7000 F: 03-8891 7181 E-mail: info@motour.gov.my