Houses along the historic canals of Amsterdam, a mosaic bench by Antonio Gaudí in Park Guell, Barcelona, and the imposing Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral and iconic   Eiffel Tower in Paris all lighted up for Christmas.

These are among the newest additions to Bacolod's now famous miniature Christmas Village created by artist-designer Bamboo Tonogbanua at his ancestral home at San Juan Street that is now on its 15 th year run.

It officially opens for the holidays on Nov. 27 to friends and visitors from 6 to 9 p.m. by appointment.

The new miniature structures in this Lilliputian village are from the travels of Tonogbanua through Europe this year. The Bacolod artist said he and some friends lapped up the architectural wonders of Europe as they drove through Paris , Amsterdam , Monte Carlo and Spain for 45 days.

Miniature Tour de France cyclists racing up steep mountains are also among the additions to the village, recreated by Tonogbanua from the actual race he and his friends saw while in France .

New powder blue “skies” and more mountains have also sprouted up in the Christmas Village that fills a 6 by 8-meter room.

This year one of Tonogbanua's latest additions to his collection is a 4-inch by 7 ½-inch miniature community with more than 100 trees, 20 houses, along with people and animals in it. The objects in it are less than a fourth of an inch high.

The main Christmas Village also now has five railroad tracks weaving through snow covered villages, from four last year.

And among the latest fun rides in the villages is a parachute drop. This is on top of the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, saucer rides, two skating rinks, carousels, and cable cars, and skiers going up and down the steep mountain slopes.

Hundreds of Christmas lights blinking to the beat of Christmas music as people dance, skate and trains zoom by, the village of close to 4,000 objects is once again all set for the holidays.

From a Santa Village with elf-like houses, to scenes from rural America to the majestic castles of Europe – Tonogbanua will once again dazzle the eyes of the young and old, and awaken the Christmas spirit in them, as he did for more than 2,000 people last year.*CPG

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