IPOH, Dec 5 — Nothing rings in the season of giving like a good old Christmas tree, and the Our Lady of Lourdes Church along Jalan Silibin here, is doing so by setting up one of the largest trees Ipoh has ever seen.
Measuring a gigantic 16.7m in high, the tree is believed to be among the tallest Christmas trees ever erected in Ipoh.
Alex Chantra, who was among the youth parishioners leading the project said the church started planning for the giant tree last year.
An imposing sight for churchgoers and members of the public alike, it is the first time that the church has put up a Christmas tree of this size.
“Two years ago, we had made a smaller tree from cable, wire, and cloth but it fell down due to strong winds,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail.
“This year, we decided to improve the structural stability so we can have something lasting for years to come.”
Chantra said the church had commissioned a designer from Teluk Intan to construct the tree, which cost nearly RM 20,000.
“The measurements were done by computer and they needed to be precise because of its size. Altogether there are five decks all the way to the top.”
“Since January, we had been collecting money for this. It took around two months to finish up the tree, but it was worth it,” he said.
Chantra said the tree would be put up until mid-January, adding that it would be lit every day from 7.30pm to 1am.
He expressed his hope that the tree would be a source of joy during the coming Christmas season.
“We wanted the tree to increase the Christmas spirit among the parish during the Yuletide season,” he said.
“It would be wonderful if the tree allowed everyone to find some extra joy and happiness during this special time.”
