Eco dragon makes its way into record book

KUCHING: The city of Kuching has yet again etched its name into the Malaysian Book of Records (MBOR) for the world’s longest dragon made using recycled materials.

The dragon, installed beside the iconic White Cat Statue at the Padungan roundabout here, boasts a body diameter of 60 centimetres and length of 18.88 metres.

Its length serves as a commemoration of Kuching’s city status elevation on Aug 1, 1988.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian congratulated the Tzu Chi Foundation Kuching, a humanitarian non-governmental organisation (NGO) that volunteered to create this masterpiece using recycled materials such as old compact discs, plastic bottles and tin cans.

The Eco Dragon head.

The body of the Eco Dragon, made with old compact discs, plastic bottles, and tin cans.

“The construction of the Eco Dragon took around one month, involving the dedicated efforts of over 400 men and more than 1,500 hours of work.

“As such, I want to thank Tzu Chi for this artwork, created from waste to something meaningful, filled with profound symbolism for the people of Sarawak, especially in the auspicious Year of the Dragon, and for the city of Kuching,” he said.

He said this during the Light-Switching Ceremony of the Cat Statue in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebration at the Padungan roundabout here on Sunday night (Jan 21).

Meanwhile, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the installation is part of a broader initiative by the council to advance the green agenda.

“This Eco Dragon is testament to the idea that you can create beauty from recyclable items. This is why we encourage everyone to be mindful of their purchases and to recycle items they no longer need.

“Kuching is on the path towards an environmentally friendly city, and the council has more programmes lined up to achieve this goal,” he remarked.

He added that the council will be cutting down the use of plastic at supermarkets, following the plastic straw ban in MBKS.

Also present were MBKS deputy mayor Zaiedi Suhaili and MBOR assistant manager Nazrul Hafizi.