Sri Lanka unveiled a towering Christmas tree on Saturday, claiming to have surpassed the world record for an artificial Christmas tree despite constructions delays and a shorter-than-planned finished product. 

The 238-foot tree, built in capital Colombo, is 18 meters taller than the current record holder, organizers said. The tree’s steel-and-wire frame is covered with a plastic net decorated with more than 1 million natural pine cones painted red, gold, green and silver, 600,000 LED bulbs and topped by a 20-foot shining star. 

The tree cost $80,000. The Catholic Church criticized the tree as a “waste of money” and suggested that the funds better be spent on helping the poor. 

Currently, the record is held by a Chinese firm that put up a 180-foot tree-like tower of lights and synthetic foliage, ornaments and lamps in the city of Guangzhou last year. 

Organizers said they wanted the tree to help promote ethnic and religious harmony in the Buddhist-majority South Asian island nation.

The Guinness World Records is yet to confirm if this is the tallest artificial Christmas tree. Currently, the record is held by a Chinese firm that put up a 55-meter (180-foot) tree-like tower of lights and synthetic foliage, ornaments and lamps in the city of Guangzhou last year.