ALOR STAR: What started as a traditional kite flying activity among farmers to celebrate the padi harvesting season in Kampung Benua, Simpang Empat here has evolved into a fiesta-like atmosphere in this typically quiet village.
Outsiders are making a beeline to this village located along the Alor Star-Pendang trunk road, despite the late evening El-Nino phenomenon heat. They pose pictures with rice straw sculptures for their social media content.
While visitors are enjoying their "OOTD" (oufit of the day) moments with families and friends, the clear blue sky here is dotted with kites, mostly traditional wau bulan that are 'racing to the moon'.
"We started with just flying the kites to mark the padi harvesting season and we were thinking about how to attract the younger generation to join the activity.
"After the harvesting process, we looked at the piles of rice straws just sitting there on the empty padi field and then we came up with an idea to build the rice straw sculptures to attract the young crowd and at the same time, promoting traditional kites to them," said villager Radzi Ahmad, 40.
They had sought help from the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) to supply the rice straw rolls which they later piled together as the main attraction for the site.
"Then youths in the villager joined us to work on the other sculptures."
According to Radzi, they have spent some RM500, which they raised among themselves to decorate the site.
"We are grateful that the idea turned out well. Not only are we able to promote traditional kites to youngsters, we are also attracting outsiders to the village," he said with a beaming smile.
Radzi said the number of kite runners have since doubled from 15 to 30 participants while young children are showing their keen interest to join the activity.
Mohd Amirul Amar Mohd Shahrul Anuar, 10, from Batu Lima here said he is excited to fly his own the traditional kite.
"I am very interested to learn how to build the tradition kite upon seeing them 'dancing' gracefully on the sky," said Amirul, who is enjoying cheerful time his friends at site during the school break.
Checks at the site yesterday showed that people arriving in droves to pose pictures with the sculptures and enjoy the splendid massive padi fields scenery with a backdrop of the current dry spell sunset.
Enterprising villagers are generating extra income by selling drinks and light meals to the visitors.
Zulkarnaen Abdullah, 51, a teacher from Jengka, Pahang and his family seized the opportunity to drop by at the site while visiting his son who is studying in Kuala Nerang, Padang Terap.
"My wife found out at this site through a social media platform so we decided to come over. It is good to enjoy this wonderful padi field scenery as my hometown is mostly covered by oil palm and rubber plantations," he said.
Zulkarnaen praised the villagers for their initiative in making good use of the padi harvesting season tradition into a tourism attraction.
"I hope this will be an annual event and they will improve the sculptures in upcoming years to attract even more visitors," he said.