KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — The city’s skyline came alive last night as 1,000 performers re-enacted the nation’s most cherished myths and folklore for Citrawarna@Kuala Lumpur 2016.

Themed "Unleash the Moment, Unfold the Stories”, the event started at 8pm with a stirring rendition of Negaraku that was sure to drum up a sense of awe in the huge crowd that turned up at Dataran Merdeka.

Among the crowd were media members from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as a large number of tourists.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, the ministry’s secretary-general Tan Sri Ong Hong Peng and Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Siew Ka Wei were among the dignitaries who witnessed the spectacle in front of Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

Performers thrill the audience in the celebration on the country’s myths and folklore. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

From the epic Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa recounting the founding of ancient Langkasuka by a refugee prince and the mythical Garuda bird, to the tale of the Sarawakian Melanau king Tugau in his quest to obtain golden gifts to win the hand of the princess of Kau in marriage, virtually every performance was lush in detail with intricate robing and ornate musical pieces.

Accompanying them were cultural performances such as the Chinese lotus dance, a folk fusion of the Indian peacock and bhangra dances, the Siamese Dragon King dance, and the Orang Asli Sawai dance, originally meant to invoke sacred spirits in healing the afflicted of diseases.

By 11pm, the finale tailed off with a fireworks display and an hour-long post-event concert by local artistes including Ayda Jebat, Datin Alyah, Bunkface, Drama Band, Aweera, Sissy Iman and Payslip.

The two-day Citrawarna festival, organised by Tourism Malaysia, began on Saturday, with a Chillax Zone where fairgoers could enjoy the smooth electronic flavours of The Wknd Session and MaTiCfm at the DJ Corner.

Other activities included traditional Malaysian games, lucky draws and an exhibition and sales by Citrawarna’s strategic partners.

Now in its 17th year, the event is an initiative of the Tourism and Culture Ministry to promote Malaysia’s tourism, culture and arts products through dances, costumes and folk songs.