Culture and Heritage

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

Although the British were described as latecomers in a line of Western Colonialists in Malaysia's history, they arguably left the most enduring legacy, particularly in the form of legislation and the development of George Town into a modern city. Even a short gallop through the history of Penang will not be complete without mention of the arrival of the British in 1786, and the subsequent introduction of British rule in the day-to-day administration and governance of Penang.

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

One could conjecture that had there been no British authority in Penang, the shape and destiny of heritage conservation could have turned out to be entirely different. Shorn of British influence, the built heritage and living culture of the ethnic enclaves could very well come to the fore. Be that as it may, historical landmarks in Penang bear the inspiration of various influences. Many still stand to this day, although in the preface to the 2nd edition of Streets of George Town, the author lamented that "many heritage buildings have fallen."

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

George Town, the capital of the state of Penang, has one of the largest collections of 19th, and early 20th century buildings in Southeast Asia. It is a living historic city, with inner-city communities, places of worship, guilds, wet markets and bazaars, traditional trades and retail shops, trishaw peddlers and hawkers. Since 1948, George Town's heritage buildings had been protected under a Rent Control Act. A 1994 census showed that Penang had 12,453 rent control premises with 8,259 located in the heart of George Town. With the repeal of Rent Control at the dawning of the new millennium, tenants who have lived in the inner city for the last 50 years face potential dislocation. A whole historic environment, community and way of life may disappear forever. Penang's living heritage city is now facing a critical period following the repeal. The Penang State Government is doing all it can to ensure that George Town's heritage city and living culture will survive this transition. Getting George Town recognised as a World Heritage City will go a long way towards this goal.

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

Daily, hundreds of tourists both local and foreign, visit this vast preservation of treasures in George Town, in which may be seen and enjoyed the story of Penang's man-made heritage. As the starting point of Penang's multicultural community, the inner city of George Town has many houses of worship, guilds, mosques, temples, clan houses, district associations, sanghams and lodges which are Penang's 'open museums' of migration and cultural history. The many heritage tour guides are only too happy to reveal to the visitor the beauty and wonder, and the inspiration and spiritual meaning that lie behind each building, each community and each culture including the scrumptious food and vibrant festival they offer.

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

A nimble amble through the historical sights in George Town: the first four streets mapped out by city fathers in George Town, namely Beach Street, Light Street, Pitt Street (now Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling) and Chulia Street are still very much relevant and bustle with traffic every day. Just around the corner from Beach Street lies the Colonial Quarter, where Fort Cornwallis, Esplanade, City Hall, Court-house, St. George's Church, Convent Light Street, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the Protestant Cemetery, and other historical buildings are situated.

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah

A short distance away are what is described as the historic port settlements or 'ethnic enclaves' – the Little India commercial orb, Kapitan Keling mosque, Goddess of Mercy Temple, Mahamariamman Temple, Armenian Street, Acheen Street, Khoo Kongsi, King Street, Weld Quay and others.

Penang's culture and heritage © Adrian Cheah


Penang's Cina Wayang (Chinese opera) – for gods and ghosts

Chinese opera © Adrian Cheah

Growing up in Ayer Itam in the 1970s was so much fun. Living near the wet market was even better, as you could buy food easily at any time of the day. Back then, we would bring our own tiffin carriers and even supply our own eggs to the char koay kak lady or Pak Dollah, the mee goreng uncle. Ah Heng, the rojak man, parked his cart in front of my house. He would string halved green mangoes on a lidi (coconut leaf) stick and top them with rojak sauce and crushed peanuts. Another favourite of mine was the sliced bangkwang (turnip), also topped with rojak sauce and crushed peanuts. Ah Heng eventually gave up the rojak business and sold koay teow th'ng. Everybody knew everybody back then. News even travelled faster than a speeding bullet. Before I could reach home, my mum would have known what I was up to. 

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The legend of the ferocious beast called Nian

Nian © Adrian Cheah

"Nian"' in Mandarin means "year". However, legend has it that Nian was not merely a symbolic representation of the passing year; rather, it was a mythical monster that instilled fear among humans during the New Year. This formidable creature posed such a grave threat that it loomed over the prospect of annihilating the entire human race.

At a loss about what to do, the Emperor sought the counsel of his advisors to devise a strategy for averting this impending calamity. Having devised an infallible plan, the advisors approached Nian and challenged this all-powerful beast to prove of its invincible strength by destroying all other monsters on earth rather than to erase the humans who were obviously no match for it.

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The many uses of the "horse racing" calendar

Horse racing calendar © Adrian Cheah

Introduction

It is relatively easy to know which day of the week it is. Similarly, we can more or less tell the time of day merely by looking outside the window. But how many of us can tell the date without referring to a calendar?

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Ang Pow, a packet of good tidings

Ang pow © Adrian Cheah

A monetary gift, straightforward and convenient, garners universal appreciation. The Chinese community worldwide traditionally exchanges red envelopes, known as ang pows, containing money as a gesture of goodwill during significant events like Chinese New Year, birthdays, and weddings. Although this humble offering dates back thousands of years, this modest tradition is still prevalent to this very day.

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Sir Stamford Raffles and The History Of The Runnymede

Thomas Stamford Raffles was born in 1781, to Captain Benjamin Raffles and his wife Anne and in 1793 was sent as a boarder to the Mansion House Boarding school in Hammersmith, London. He joined the East India Company in London as a temporary clerk in 1795.

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Jalur Gemilang – the stripes of glory

Jalur Gemilang © Adrian Cheah

Behind the simple and slightly derivative design, the Malaysian flag has, since its creation, served as a silent testament to the country's heritage and cultural mix, and upholding cherished values like freedom and justice.

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Heritage buildings in Penang

Acheen Street Mosque

Also known as Mesjid Melayu, the mosque was built on land donated by Syed Sheriff Tengku Syed Hussain Aidid an Arab merchant prince who came from Acheh in Sumatra. The vernacular-style mosque from 1808 remains basically unmodified except for the Moorish arcade added at the turn of the century.

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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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Malaysians – unique and united

Malaysians © Adrian Cheah

"The melting pot or mixing bowl images do not provide an adequate picture of Penang. The kaleidoscope, with its shifting patterns of colourful pieces, overlapping sometimes to make new shapes, some larger in one frame and smaller in others, offers a better metaphor for Penang's multi-ethnic population and its changes over time." – Sarnia Hayes Hoyt Old Penang 1991

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