TANGUB CITY, Misamis Occidental - Tangub City kicked off its annual Christmas Symbols Festival Friday, in a bid to live up to its name as the "Christmas Symbols Capital of Mindanao".

Since December 2005, Tangub City has been decorating its city square with different Christmas symbols to showcase the creativity of locals and to draw in visitors from nearby provinces.

"The Christmas Symbols Festival of Tangub City is the longest running [Christmas] festival in the country today," Department of Tourism Region X Director Crisanto Chan III said.

In 2012, the local government decided to incorporate international landmarks such as the Niagara Falls in Canada, Palais Longchamp in France, Malaysia's Piano House, the Black Castle, Hogwarts Castle of the Universal Studio in the United States, Delhi's Bahai Temple, Minar-e Pakistan in Lahore and 10 other landmarks in its display.

"It's going to be a Christmas dancing lights show this year," Mayor Philip Tan said.

The city's yuletide festival will be open until January 2017.