Great Penang

Adrian Cheah loves Penang. He brings you interesting insights into the UNESCO heritage city of George Town where he calls home.

Great Penang © Adrian Cheah


Book review: Once Upon A Kamcheng

Lillian Tong and Jewel Tan

Once Upon A Kamcheng

Preface

This book is an anthology of Penang Straits Chinese Baba Nyonya memoirs, biographies, and collected stories. The compilation was inspired by life growing up in a Baba Nyonya home and the stories told to me by my mother, Tan Chooi Bee, and my friends. Beyond the nostalgia of resplendent gold and gilded lattice screens and gracious living are behind the scenes expose bothering on the ridiculous to the tragic, where antics, escapes, indulgences and misadventure reign.

Lillian Tong

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Silat – a Malay martial art steeped in tradition

Like other forms of Oriental martial arts, the millenia-old Malay silat is equally popular and effective in exhibitive, entertainment and sporting functions as it is for actual combat. The etymology of the word silat refers to movement of the body and the art itself originated during pre-Islamic times. Historically, silat reached its zenith during the Majapahit dynasty (1292-1478).

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Cheng Beng – the Festival of the Tombs

Cheng Beng © Adrian Cheah

History

The history and practice of Chinese religious and cultural festivals go back a long way, some even beyond the span of written history.

Over the years, the traditions associated with these festivals are handed down from generation to generation within communities, with very little changes introduced. The only difference found in a festival celebrated in two different countries would be cultural ones.

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Madam Hong and Cheng Beng

Cheng Beng © Adrian Cheah

There are some who believe that traditionally, the task of performing Cheng Beng rituals falls on the family of the eldest son, followed by the next in seniority and so on. The eldest son is thus entirely responsible in ensuring that the rituals of ancestral offerings are carried out properly.

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Ramadhan – a time for reflection

Ramadhan © Adrian Cheah

Once again, Ramadhan, the holiest of months for Muslims, is almost upon us. The ninth month of the Muslim year is strictly observed by all Muslims as a month of fasting (and abstinence) during which they would abstain from the pleasures of eating, drinking and carnal desires and actions from sunrise to sunset. Ramadhan usually lasts from 29 to 30 days, after which Muslims celebrate Id-al-Fitr (Hari Raya Puasa in the local language). Fasting is one of the five basic duties of Islam.

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SPP 30th Anniversary Twin City Photo Exhibition: A Visual Extravaganza!

SPP 30th Anniversary

Embarking on a captivating photographic journey, the Society of Photographers Penang (SPP) commemorated its 30th Anniversary with a Twin City Photo Exhibition and a series of thrilling photography activities held at Gurney Walk from 7 to 15 December 2023.

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Captivating Moments: 34th Baba Nyonya International Convention and SCPA's 103rd Anniversary Celebration

34th Baba Nyonya International Convention © Adrian Cheah

Alongside 29 members of the State Chinese (Penang) Association (SCPA), we journeyed to Malacca for the 34th Baba Nyonya International Convention held on 24-26 November 2023, hosted by Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Malaysia. President Dato' Ronald Gan and his organising team, led by Lee Yuen Thien, dedicated themselves to orchestrating a series of captivating events centred around the theme "Between Man and the Ocean", featuring the "chi-wen" (fish-like dragon), believed to be one of the nine sons of the dragon, providing protection from harm and misfortune for all.

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The Spring Festival – an insight into the festivities of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year © Adrian Cheah

The Chinese community observes various festivals, encompassing both religious and secular occasions. Among these, a particularly significant celebration is the Spring Festival, commonly referred to in Penang as Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year.

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The intriguing tale of deliverance behind the Hokkien New Year

Hokkien New Year © Adrian Cheah

The ninth day of the first lunar calendar holds particular significance for the Hokkien people, a subgroup of the Chinese community. Some traditionalists would even venture as far as to say that it is much more important than the Chinese New Year day itself because on that day, the entire Hokkien clan was spared from being massacred. They believe it was the Jade Emperor, also known as the God of Heaven, who protected them. Thus, the celebration of this day is marked with heightened grandeur, particularly in Penang, surpassing the observance of the first day of the lunar calendar.

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Chap Goh Meh – The Night of Romance

Chap Goh Meh © Adrian Cheah

A fascinating Chap Goh Meh story tells the tale of a lonely young bachelor, who during an outing on this moonlit night, was suddenly enchanted when he caught a glimpse of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Intrigued by this exquisitely delicate beauty in all her finery, he wondered about her identity. With excitement pounding in his heart, the hopeful young man swiftly jotted down her car's number. The following morning, driven by enthusiasm, he sought her address and eagerly asked his mother to send a matchmaker to the home of the girl he envisioned marrying.

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On The Crest Of Prayer – The Thaipusam Story

Thaipusam © Adrian Cheah

From the top of the green hill, the endless string of devotees dotting its way up the concrete steps seemed like a sacred procession of silence.

Carrying milk-pots of brass and silver, and harnessed in colourful kavadis, the worshippers inched their way to the great temple overhead with sweet hypnotic resolve. The children, the elders, even the disabled ones, scaled slowly with their ceremonial burdens, ascending with a mission to the call of the good Lord Muruga above.

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Deepavali – Celebrating the Light

Deepavali  © Adrian Cheah

Squatting at a corner of King Street amid the human bustle of Penang's Little India, Manickam P. sorts through a giant pile of fresh green banana leaves.

Clad in baggy khaki shorts and a sweat-soaked singlet, he seems to take no notice of either the automobiles that incessantly purr past or the hundreds of human apparitions that mill by him. The elderly odd-job worker certainly has his work cut out for him nowadays.

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Remembering loved ones on All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day © Adrian Cheah

The feast of All Souls' Day serves as a poignant reminder, urging us to extend our heartfelt prayers for the departed, helping them on their journey to heaven. We pray not only for those we know and love but also for “neglected souls”. This is regarded as an act of charity.

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My understanding of All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day © Adrian Cheah

Images of St. Joseph from the Roman Catholic Penang Diocesan Museum, Farquhar Street, Penang.

Can you name five saints, even if you are not Catholic? The first name that might come to mind is St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. The famous church in Bukit Mertajam is dedicated in her honour. And of course, standing alongside Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus, is St. Joseph. 

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The Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Penang

Nine Emperor Gods Festival © Adrian Cheah

How far would you go to uphold your beliefs? Would you be willing to undergo a strict vegetarian diet for nine straight days, walk on fire barefooted or pierce a long spear through your cheeks? Or are you an armchair devotee who prefers to remain in your comfort zone and observe events from afar? Does the younger generation know what this festival is all about and how many would stop to find out more?

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Of lanterns and mooncakes

lanterns and mooncakes © Adrian Cheah

"The Chinese people have never demanded a clear separation of the worlds of myth and reality – indeed, they are so closely bound up that it is hard to say where one begins and the other ends." – An Introduction to Oriental Mythology, Clio Whittaker et al

"The moon, along with fine wine and beautiful women, is a favourite topic for the Chinese poets." – Chinese proverb

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Tides of candlelight adoration at St. Anne's Feast

St Anne

One of the largest and most extraordinary religious mass gatherings in Southeast Asia is the St Anne Novena and Feast in the town of Bukit Mertajam in Penang.

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Hungry Ghosts roam the Streets of George Town

Hungry Ghosts © Adrian Cheah

The Hungry Ghost Festival, locally known as Phor Thor, is an annual month-long celebration observed by the Chinese communities not only in Penang but also throughout Malaysia, Singapore and Phuket.

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Merdeka – the National Day of Malaysia

Merdeka

In 1956, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj led a delegation to London to hold talks with the British Government concerning independence for Malaya.

The Malayan delegation, comprising of four representatives of the Malay Rulers and four Alliance representatives, convinced the British Government to set a date for independence: 31 August 1957.

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Awal Muharram and the Hijri Calendar: marking Islamic History and Traditions

Awal Muharram, also known as Maal Hijrah, marks the beginning of the new Hijri year, falling on the first day of Muharram on the Muslim calendar. The phrase "Maal Hijrah" in Arabic translates to "migration", symbolising Prophet Muhammad's emigration as a process of positive change and leaving behind negative aspects of life. Thus, this new year's day for Muslims emphasises reflection, remembrance and gratitude.

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The journey of faith – the Haj

Haj © Zakaria Salim

Introduction

Hari Raya Haji (or Hari Raya Korban) falls on the 10th day of Zulhijah, the last month of the Muslim calendar. It is a major Islamic festival and of particular significance for pilgrims who have returned from performing the Haj or umrah (pilgrimage) in Mecca. It may not be as grand as Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (or Hari Raya Puasa) in terms of joyous celebrations, but is important nonetheless for Muslims the world over.

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