KUCHING: La Promenade will once again host the Sarawak Open Bonsai and Suiseki Championship from July 20 to 29.
Sarawak Bonsai Association (SBA) president Johnson Jong said the event is set to become an even larger show compared to last year’s which was already the largest at the time.
“We aim to be better every year. On behalf of SBA members, we are glad that Hock Seng Lee (HSL) is as ambitious as we are. When we asked to make the event bigger, they immediately responded ‘yes’.
“A bigger event means more trees, more variety, more categories, more participants, more demos and more competitions. It is going to be the best Sarawak Open and the public is in for a super treat,” he said in a statement today.
Jong said that in order to accommodate a large show, the 2023 championship was shifted to July to allow local bonsai enthusiasts more time to cultivate their plants.
He said the show will feature the most beautiful trees ever to enter a competition in the region.
“Changing it to mid-year means trees will be in full bloom. Usually, after the wet season, the bonsai will not be at its best. Now that it’s the dry season, the trees are at peak prettiness,” he said.
Meanwhile, organising chairman Hayes Teo said there will be four grand awards and 18 categories, adding that participating plants would be coming from as far as Sabah.
“Last year, we had plants from Miri, and this year, I’m just so happy that there will be plants from Sabah as well. The plant owners will be driving all the way from Sabah to Kuching for the Sarawak Open,” he said.
At the same time, HSL executive director Tony Yu expressed delight and pointed out that La Promenade is the perfect venue for the championship.
“La Promenade is best known for its landscaping. Inside La Promenade, we have tree-lined boulevards with over 1,500 trees of various species. We have a landscape team of almost 30 people.
“HSL supports the Sarawak Open because it is in line with our flagship property’s signature element. We are proud to be associated with such a beautiful and environmentally friendly event. It’s so great to see growing interests and genuine appreciation for greens from the community,” he said.
Judging the championship will be a mix of specialists from the Malaysia Bonsai and Suiseki Society (MBSS) and the Sarawak association.
