The Lotus Tower, dubbed as South Asia’s tallest structure, is to open its doors to the public tomorrow (15).
The 350-metre (1,155-feet) Lotus Tower, costing USD 113 million, is built with Chinese loans.
Speaking to the media, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury and Chairman of the Lotus Tower Management Company (Pvt.) Ltd. – Mr. R.M.P. Ratnayake said that after the business activities at the tower are initiated on Sep. 15, the tower will be opened to the public later in the same day after 2.00pm.
The tower will be open to the public from 2.00pm – 10.00pm on weekdays and from 12.00 noon – 11.00pm on weekdays. According to the company, the tower is to be lit up from 7.00pm – 10.00pm on weekdays and from 7.00pm – 11.00pm on weekdays.
Tickets Tickets are priced at Rs. 500 and Rs. 2,000 for adults. The Rs. 500 ticket is for visiting as a part of a group while a Rs. 2,000 ticket would enable the ticket holder to proceed without no waiting and without having to join other visitors in groups. Tickets for children aged below 10 years are priced at Rs. 500. However, schools are able to contact the management for pre-booked school tours from Oct. 01 ( 0742012354 / 0742012357). A ticket for a schoolchild on a school tour will be priced at Rs. 200. Tickets for foreigners are priced at USD 20.
Opening in 3 stages Speaking, CEO of the Lotus Tower Management Company- Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Prasad Samarasinghe said that the tower will be opened in three stages.
Noting that keeping the tower closed will only add to the financial losses of the tower, he said that the first stage will see the opening of the observation deck. Visitors will be able to enjoy a 360 degree view of Colombo city at the observation deck and join the entertainment events at the premises. All visitors will be allowed to the observation deck only once and will be allowed to remain there for 1/2 hour. Also, only around 150 visitors will be allowed at the deck at the same time.
The second stage, expected to follow in another couple of months along the line, will see the additions of a digital art museum, E-sport arena, digital banks, innovation centres, and a 30m high water show on the Beira Lake, the company said. The second stage would also see a change from the physical ticket to a QR code ticketing system. The company also hopes to add telescopes to the observation deck to view famous local landmarks such as Sigiriya and Adams Peak towards the end of this phase.
In addition, a 9D cinema hall and a revolving restaurant is expected to be added to the attractions of the third stage which is expected in March 2023 and the company hopes to make the Lotus Tower a fully functioning business entity by then.
5G supported The company also hopes to host adventure sports such as bungee jumping and skydiving in the future.
The tower also hosts 8 elevators, including three of the fastest elevators in Sri Lanka, which enables visitors from the ground floor to reach the observation deck on the 29th floor in just 49 seconds. It also includes office spaces, luxury suites, sky lounge, banquet halls, a revolving restaurant and a 9D cinema hall.
The company also says that Lotus Tower would be a 5G supported tower from Sep. 15.
The company Mr. Ratnayake noted that the premises of the Lotus Tower is fully owned by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and that the Lotus Tower Management Company is fully owned by the Treasury.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) organized a felicitation dinner at the Oak Room, Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo Yesterday evening (12), to honour those who have completed fifty years at the Bar.
During the Felicitation Dinner, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has also completed fifty years at the Bar, was honoured and presented with a plaque by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC.
The Felicitation Dinner was organized by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to honour 26 individuals who have served at the Bar for 50 or more years. The event coincided with the two-day National Law Conference 2023, also organized by the BASL, which is held on the 12th and 13th of March.
Juliana Margaret Coswatte, Walter Leslie de Silva, Ratnasabapathy Arumugam Jegatheson, Upali A. Gooneratne PC, Kanagaratnam Kaneshayogan, M. M Zuhair PC, Vijaya Niranjan Perera PC, Vernon Manilal Fernando, Justice J. Asoka Nihal de Silva, W. D. J. Seneviratne, Justice D. J. De S. Balapatabendi also were felicitated at the ceremony.
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam PC, BASL President Saliya Peiris, Chairman of the Felicitation Committee Janaprith Fernando and Convener of the Felicitation Committee Chamath Fernando addressed the Felicitation Dinner.
Another group of Chinese tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday (10). The group of over 150 tourists, who arrived from Shanghai, were welcomed by the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka – Mr. Qi Zhenhong, State Minister of Foreign Affairs – Mr. Tharaka Balasuriya and a group of senior officials from the Sri Tourism Promotion Bureau.
This group will be visiting Sri Lanka for 07 days.
More direct flights and visitors are scheduled in the coming months, bringing huge benefits to Sri Lankan tourism and economic growth, the Chinese embassy said.
The first group of 117 Chinese tourists after the Covid pandemic arrived in Sri Lanka from Guangzhou, China on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight on March 01.
The first group of Chinese tourists to come to Sri Lanka after China relaxed travel restrictions on its citizens arrived from Katunayake Airport this morning (02).
This tourist group consisting of 120 people reached Sri Lanka from Guangzhou by SriLankan Airlines flight UL 1881.
They arrived in the country for an eight-day visit.
The Chinese tourists will travel to 20 countries including Sri Lanka, after Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed.