By D’Drift Team
SERIAN, March 5: Serian’s beloved landmarks—the iconic durian and the perpetually-baffled buffalo—have received a stunning facelift.
The durian, once silver, now gleams with a fresh coat of prosperous greenish-gold, as if touched by the Midas himself, while the internet-sensation water buffalo statue, known for its bewildered expression, has stepped up its style game with a charming Chinese hat, adding a playful twist to its already endearing presence.
According to a staff of Roxy Hotel, just before the end of last year, the durian statue was painted greenish gold, assuming the fruit’s true colour.
Following the change of colour, the statue was able to make its way into the Guinness World Record as the biggest durian statue in 2024.
“Gold signifies prosperity. It means ‘heng’, ‘wang’ for all,” the staff told D’Drift Team.
He explained that the change was long overdue, especially after the challenges brought on by Covid-19.
And indeed, after the turn of the year and the change of the durian’s colour, the town received the much-needed boost with people-oriented programmes such as the Sarawak Basic Aid Allocations (SKAS) lending help to uplift the community.
Another interesting fact is, according to another staff at the Roxy Hotel, the durian’s change in colour did not diminish visitor’s enthusiasm for taking pictures with it.
Perhaps it’s the sheer size of the statue—or the fact that the durian, as the undisputed king of fruits, deserves a larger-than-life tribute. Towering at more than ten times the size of a real durian, the now golden giant continues to draw in crowds eager to snap a photo with it.
“There are many tourists from Indonesia and Brunei coming here and many of them took photo with the durian, after the change of its colour,” said the staff.
Since the installation of this larger-than-life durian statue, it has become the icon and the must-visit hotspot for tourists, including those from Kuching.
As for the perpetually-bewildered Serian buffalo statue, a local icon that has captured the hearts of many in recent years, it is now sporting a fresh new look.
Standing proud on its small plateau in front of AmBank, the wide-eyed buffalo still sports its signature confused expression, but now with an added twist.
Perched on its head is a paper Chinese cap and paper pineapple decorations around its neck, giving it a fresh, festive look. It may still appear confused and flustered, but at least now, it does so in style! — DayakDaily
