IT’s all things bright and beautiful as shopping centres go all out to entice and amaze visitors this Christmas.
Step into major malls across Penang and you will find festive wonderlands crafted around ingenious themes that offer endless opportunities for photo-taking.
Most eschewed traditional wintry motifs in favour of more playful and whimsical concepts to create experiences that are different from those of previous years.
With the return to normalcy following the Covid-19 pandemic, shoppers are now able to take in the enchanting sights with fewer restrictions.
StarMetro visited a few malls to explore the festive finery.
Gurney Plaza beckons visitors “To Wish Upon a Star” with its dreamy backdrop featuring a 10m-tall biscuit house inhabited by little bunnies, who happen to be hosting a tea party for children.
Sweet treats have been draped around Christmas trees, attracting the attention of colourful deer.
A ballerina twirls atop a giant jewellery box while toy soldiers stand guard. Look upwards to see the star-filled sky.
CapitaLand general manager (mall management) Peter Chan said the bunnies symbolised rebirth and renewal.
But the theme was also aimed at reconnecting grown-ups with their inner child to rediscover the joys of make-believe.
“Festive seasons are our favourite times of year as they allow us to get creative. For Christmas, there is a certain joy and wonder that people look forward to experiencing.
“Creating that ambience makes a visit to the mall a memorable experience. It is our way of welcoming shoppers and celebrating the festivity together,” Chan added.
Queensbay Mall’s ‘A Wunderbarn Noel’ display whisks the imagination of its visitors away to European alpine meadows.
With a red barn, wind turbine, water tank, hay bales and crates of produce, it’s easy to forget that one is in a mall in the tropics.
The farm’s cute residents have been drawing most of the attention so far. Keep an eye out for the cows, goats, horses, sheep, rabbits, birds, deer and alpacas.
Centre manager Lee Sue Ling said the idea behind the décor was to enable shoppers to experience the spirit of Christmas from a different cultural context. Since travelling to Europe is costly, her team decided to recreate the atmosphere in the mall instead.
“Now that life is mostly back to normalcy, it has been more important than ever to recapture that magical feeling of Christmas we used to know before the pandemic.
“It is truly the most wonderful time of year,” said Lee.
The fairy forest at Sunway Carnival Mall’s “Wander Wonder Christmas” is something to behold.
Those exploring the kaleidoscopic realm will find larger-than-life features at virtually every corner.
From colourful flowers to hanging wisterias, giant butterflies, honey bees and a wishing pond, there is much to see.
The centrepiece is a 10m-tall Christmas tree hiding an illuminated world inside. Look for the magic doorway and knock to enter.
The mall’s general manager Chai Wen Yew said the 40 luminous gift boxes there were repurposed from used cake boxes, in a nod to sustainability and how would-be waste could be transformed with just a little creativity.
“It is wonderful that everyone can get together again in a joyous manner after being restricted in so many aspects for the past two years.
“Our mall expansion has been completed just in time and we are delighted to welcome everyone back for the holidays,” Chai added.
Gurney Paragon Mall has gone with a traditional theme. Its “An Enchanted Christmas” revolves around red and gold, as seen in a group of trees blooming with ravishing poinsettia outside its entrance.
Golden snowflakes, deer and giant gift boxes complete the display. Inside the mall, red streamers and golden stars further enliven spaces.
“Christmas is the most jolly season of the year and we went for something classic to bring back the simple yet meaningful joys of celebrating with loved ones,” said Hunza Properties group executive director Khor Tze Ming, representing the mall’s owners.
With lots of visitors descending on Penang during the year end, hotels across the state have also put up decorations to spread cheer.
Outside G Hotel Gurney, Santa Claus is smiling at passing motorists. Colourful light bulbs and a hat complete the seasonal look.
The hotel’s communications director Christina Tan said Christmas came at the right time as the hotel had just completed its refurbishment.
“Tourism in Penang has picked up following the Covid-19 pandemic, so we want to make this festivity one of the most exciting yet,” she said, adding that an elf bearing gifts is at its sister property G Hotel Kelawai.
At The Granite Luxury Hotel, guests are stopping to take selfies with a 3m-tall Christmas bunny covered with faux red roses. When lit at night, it radiates a warm glow.
Accompanying it are golden trees and giant presents. Hotel general manager Moh Wei Ken described it as “a bunny for three seasons” as it would be given a makeover for Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.
“Christmas is a time of joy and giving. After all the gloom from the pandemic, putting up decorations like this helps spread cheer and rekindle the celebratory spirit,” he noted.
Over in neighbouring Kedah, Aman Central has become the talk of town with its spectacular “Star-Studded Christmas” decorations.
Shimmering in shades of gold, it offers shoppers glitzy social media snaps from every angle.
The centrepiece 5m-tall Christmas tree is made of stacked stars. Above it are frosted conifers in floating boxes.
A giant snow globe with golden reindeer completes the gilded display.
Retail and commercial chief operating officer Lawrence Teh, speaking on behalf of the mall’s owners Belleview Group, said, “We hope this sparkling and luminous experience will light up everyone’s Christmas and New Year, bringing a little magic for the year ahead.”
So make your way to any of these malls and see the Yuletide magic come to life.