[1][2] It was built on the Galle Face Green in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the tree is 72.1 m (236 ft 6.58 in) tall and opened on Christmas Eve 2016.

The cone-shaped tree is a steel-and-wire frame made from scrap metal and wood, and covered by plastic netting.

It is decorated with approximately one million natural pine cones painted gold, green, red and silver colors.

[4] The tree was constructed by 150 employees of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Ports and Shipping with support from other parties.

Later, work on the tree recommenced after a meeting with Catholic Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo.