Mighty horses reign at malls

Fantasy-forward festive vibes at The Exchange TRX.

CHINESE New Year decorations have returned to malls across Klang Valley, filling atria and concourses with lanterns, sculptural centrepieces and seasonal motifs.

This year’s displays range from large-scale installations designed to stand out at centre courts to more dispersed settings that reveal themselves to visitors as they move around.

Boundless prosperity

At Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya, the festive decor is organised around a large, arena-style design occupying the centre court.

The display is anchored by a tall, multi-tiered pavilion and topped with a prancing horse sculpture developed in collaboration with Sunway University.

Surrounding the sculpture are pergolas featuring curved lattices, while a sea of lanterns float above the atrium.

Sunway Velocity Mall in Kuala Lumpur has an impressive setup featuring a 10m-tall centrepiece reminiscent of the Chinese character “chun” representing Spring.

Within is a “Living Shan Shui Horse” painting, with the kinetic installation bringing galloping horses and majestic mountains to life, symbolising the continuous flow of fortune.

Standing proud next to it is a grand gold steed symbolising strength, ambition and boundless prosperity

At IOI City Mall in Putrajaya, the Chinese New Year display is organised around the theme “Journey to Prosperity”.

Mid Valley Megamall features a village-style courtyard setting for Chinese New Year.

The installation at the atrium is anchored by a large horse sculpture titled Trojan designed by local artist, designer and architect Kaiyi Wong.

The minimalist geometric sculpture created with tubing set with warm lights makes a reappearance after its debut during Christmas.

While not the tallest, the structure is the focal point within the atrium alongside more traditional elements like a two-storey pagoda.

At Pavilion Kuala Lumpur’s Spanish Steps, Pop Mart characters depict familiar Chinese New Year scenes.

At IOI Mall Damansara, the “Prosperity Under One Sky” theme is conveyed through a contemporary setup by the same artist.

“The People’s Lantern” centrepiece has a hundred surnames on red cloth hanging above an Oriental pavilion, casting a crimson glow over the central atrium.

Over at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, festive flair takes over several key spaces inside and outside the mall, led by the main installation at the centre court.

The area has been transformed into a “Prosperity Pavilion” anchored by eight life-sized fibreglass horse sculptures arranged in a forward-galloping pose.

Traditional motifs, lanterns and red-and-gold accents fill out the surrounding space above.

An exclusive collaboration with Pop Mart extends the display to the fountain and main entrance, where oversized character installations stand among lantern arrangements and auspicious colour schemes.

At the Spanish Steps, Pop Mart characters depict familiar Chinese New Year scenes, including a lion dance performance, elders handing out red packets and calligraphers penning festive wishes.

At Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, the centre court is anchored by a 5m-tall “Golden Tree by Gold Art” and 1.8m-tall horses among others.

KLGCC Mall’s classic Oriental garden.

A carousel positioned nearby adds to the festive feel.

Adding a modern twist to the festivities, the mall has also arranged for a robotic performance featuring characters XiaoMa and MaBao, which takes place within the decorated space at scheduled times.

At The Exchange TRX, the “Gallop Into Grandeur” theme is presented with installations spread across Central Exchange and other spaces.

The setup draws on visual references from traditional Chinese landscape paintings, with layered backdrops and sculptural forms arranged within the mall.

The combination of giant horse sculptures, mountains, waterfalls, glowing skies and giant decorative chrysanthemums lends the installation a fantasy-like atmosphere.

Leaning on tradition

Visitors to Mid Valley Megamall can enjoy “The Courtyard of Fortune” featuring a village-style setting.

The installation is anchored by a two-storey courtyard house, which features a wooden facade and tiled roof lined with rows of red lanterns.

From the upper floors, a canopy of lanterns and suspended ornaments fill the vertical space of the atrium.

At ground level, the space has been transformed into a paved courtyard with traditional-style stalls and decorative elements arranged to resemble an old town square, with artificial blossom trees adding to the charm.

Kuala Lumpur’s The Gardens Mall features a more ornamental direction under a Chinoiserie theme inspired by Oriental artistry with Western influences.

‘Lunar Blossom Garden’ at 1Utama Shopping Centre features the ‘Pavilion of Prosperity’ centrepiece.

The centre court is arranged as a series of interconnected sections, drawing on classic design references, decorative screens and use of Chinese motifs.

Each section offers a distinct visual scene, with layered backdrops and decorative details designed to function as photo points for visitors.

Suria KLCC’s centre court has been transformed into an immersive festive setting centred on an “Oriental Horse Carousel” in tribute to the incoming Year of the Horse.

The display is set against scenic backdrops of cherry blossom trees while interactive elements include a “Lotus Pond of Blessings” where visitors can make wishes for prosperity and good fortune.

A traditional Chinese pavilion and bridge complete the setting, making it a focal point for photos.

At KLGCC Mall, “An Auspicious Bloom” presents a classic Oriental garden featuring giant, vibrant peonies and a decorative bridge equipped with an interactive luck-drawing element.

At Paradigm Mall in Petaling Jaya, the Chinese New Year decor is organised around a series of large sculptural installations constructed predominantly from cardboard.

Developed in collaboration with Cardboard Country, it marks the mall’s first large-scale festive installation built around repurposed materials.

The display centres on multiple horse figures in varying forms positioned across the atrium, with cut-out mountain backdrops, lanterns and floral accents completing the scene.

Instead of concealing the edges of the cardboard panels that form the horses, the exposed corrugated textures are left visible.

Additional elements including archways, signboards and hanging ornaments follow the same material language, giving the installation a distinctly handcrafted look.

Over at 1Utama Shopping Centre, decorations unfold as a garden-like sequence beginning with the “Gateway of Auspicious Beginnings”, where rows of glowing red lanterns line the walkway.

The path into the “Lunar Blossom Garden” features motifs of paper-cut horses, with space opening up around a central two-storey structure dubbed the “Pavilion of Prosperity”.

On the fringes is the “Beacon of Lunar Joy” marked by the “Gateway of Auspicious Light”.

Crowned with cherry blossoms and accented with fluttering fans, the structure is surrounded by lanterns bearing the Chinese characters for luck and wealth.

A wishing tree is part of the decor, inviting shoppers to write down their hopes and blessings for the year ahead and hang them from the branches.