Immersive display of culture in George Town

The Star

08-07-2025

THE 17th edition of George Town Heritage Celebrations (GTHC) in Penang brought to life the city's heritage.
Themed 'Doors and Doorways' and held over three days from July 5 to 7, the events took visitors back in time to hear stories of bygone days and gain a better appreciation of Penang's living heritage.
A crowd of 20,000 thronged its opening event, the Cultural Workshop, held in the heritage enclave last Saturday.
It featured 23 interactive activities and six dance performances that highlighted different communities' traditions, practices, art forms, handicrafts, foodways, rituals and games.
Visitors giving 'sepak takraw' a go at Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi.
Cultural associations, heritage custodians, religious bodies and community members played the role of facilitators and storytellers.
It allowed event-goers to live George Town as it was in days gone by and treasure the cultural tapestry that led to its Unesco World Heritage listing.
Among those enjoying the occasion was Frenchwoman Laura Bertal, who was spotted learning joget from State Chinese (Penang) Asso­cia­­­tion members.
Bertal made the hop over from Singapore where she is studying and was randomly exploring the city when she heard music and decided to find out what it was.
'I love cultural events as it allows me to learn about a country's traditions and history.
Visitors learning Hakka with the Penang Hakka Association.
'The women look beautiful in their traditional costumes and I was surprised how easy it is to get a hang of the steps,' she said.
Spanish couple Nuria Ayala and Manuel Fernandez, also chose an opportune time to stop by Penang during their three-week-long vacation around Malaysia.
They tried the Chinese rubbing art craft workshop hosted by Thai Pak Koong (Ng Suk) Temple.
Ayala said she enjoyed the interactive activities as it allowed them to take home hand-made craft as souvenirs.
'It made learning about tradition fun and engaging. We were really impressed by Penang's mix of cultures.'
Penang residents Yeoh Han Lim and Poh Boon Yen brought their children Yubum and Yuying to the event so they could learn more about Malaysia's diverse communities.
The family tried making pottery at a station run by Penang Hindu Association.
Poh, who runs an e-commerce business, said such events were also a good opportunity to get children away from their screens and to make things with their hands.
'My son enjoyed it so much that he didn't want to stop until he completed sculpting his pot.
'At this event, we found unique aspects of different cultures all in one location,' Poh said.
GTHC was first held in 2009 to mark the anniversary of the city's joint inscription with Melaka as a Unesco World Heritage site a year earlier.
The annual event is organised by George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI).
The Penang Eurasian Association group, including Geraldine (in purple) teaching attendees steps of the Portuguese Dance at the Cheah Kongsi -- courtesy pic.
Proud to share their culture
Most of the Cultural Workshop stations were at Arme­nian Park, Arme­nian Street, Acheh Street and Cannon Street.
Others were found in the compounds of Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kong­si, Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple and Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh.
Members of the participating communities relished the opportunity to share elements of their culture with the masses.
Penang Hindu Association vice-president Dr S. Balasubra­maniam said they wanted to revive the popularity of time-honoured crafts like pottery that went back millennia.
'Clay pots have long been a part of family kitchens.
'Before the advent of refrigeration or modern metal containers, these were what people stored water or ingredients in.
'The pots keep things cool naturally, have no lead content and are safe to use,' he said.
'They are just as versatile and relevant for modern life.'
Pottery was also celebrated at Gujarati Samaj Penang's booth, which allowed visitors to decorate their own earthen pots – known as matli – while delving into its cultural significance.
Association president Daksha Shashikant said despite being a household item, the matli was often used as a decorative element during festivals.
'Women used to spend a lot of time decorating the matli.
'It was a communal activity that brought people together and it remains a cherished part of Gujarati culture,' Daksha said.
Persatuan Warisan Dato Koyah secretary-general Adam Malik Shahul Hamid reminisced about the time when kite-flying used to be a favourite pastime among teenagers.
'It was an activity that united all races. Children from different neighbourhoods, without seeing each other, would send their kites up to meet in the skies.
'Some even engaged in 'kite fighting' where they would try to cut down each other's kites using the strings.
'Once one side succeeded, the race was on to claim the fallen kite as a prize.
'We hope modern generations will enjoy such outdoor activities again,' he said while overseeing a kite-making workshop.
Many visitors took turns colouring 3m-long sheets of batik under the guidance of Warisan Balik Pulau volunteers.
The sheets had wax outlines done by individuals with disabilities from the area, according to Air Putih Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre (PPDK) supervisor Nadirah Darus.
'Batik is deeply intertwined with the nation's cultural and artistic heritage. Its appeal is timeless.
'We've had visitors of various backgrounds adding their touches to pieces here.
'Finished sheets will be exhibited at next year's event, a testament to the handiwork of a whole community,' Nadirah said.
At the Penang Hokkien Association youth sec­tion booth, crowds had fun learning the phonetics of Hokkien with the help of flash cards.
Section chairman Yew Yung Shen said they wanted to make Hokkien appealing to younger generations of the Chinese community who were increasingly speaking Mandarin only.
'Some parties fear that Penang Hokkien will die out within several decades if usage continues to decline.
'It is important to revitalise the language because it has been part of Penang's history,' added Yew.
Spectators turn dancers
At Cheah Kongsi, a giant stage allowed spectators to join in the line-up of dances put on by various groups.
This included the Portuguese dance by Penang Eurasian Association, whose president Peter Pedley said members were touched by the warm reception they received.
Youngest among the eight-­member group was Charlotte Eliza de Almeida who stole spectators' hearts with her graceful moves.
'I enjoyed dancing but was a little nervous,' she said.
Also in the entourage was Peter's sister, Geraldine, who lives in Manchester, England, but was roped in to join the performance during her visit.
'The atmosphere was joyful and I'm delighted to have been a part of it,' said Geraldine.
There was also a mahnora dance performance by Persatuan Masyarakat Siam Pulau Pinang and Bon Giri Renka: Bon Festival Love Song showcased by Malaysian-Japanese Society, while Penang Telugu Bidalu organisation performed the daathubhajana chirathalaata folk dance.
Tualang, ronggeng and joget were rendered by a troupe from the Penang branch of the National Department for Culture and Arts, while bhangra numbers were put on by Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia.
Visitors also had the opportunity to try Nanyang Childhood Games like congkak, seven stones, sepak takraw and shuttlecock kicking.
Community roots
Among the other workshops were a Chingay parade by the Penang Chingay Association, a trishaw-themed giant board game by Luma and paper-cutting by Lum Yeong Tong Yap Temple.
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Ayyappan Batu Uban Pulau Pinang highlighted the Sabarimala pilgrimage while Central Muslim Society celebrated the Kadayanallur Tenkasi community's roots in George Town through spice grinding.
At the Malaysian-German Society booth, visitors made paper models of German-influenced buildings.
Over at Badan Warisan Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh, there was a heritage writing workshop.
Tourists trying their hand at making pottery during an activity at the 17th edition of George Town Heritage Celebrations.
The Penang Hakka Association acquainted visitors with basic words and phrases, while The Pink Hibiscus Club taught the visitors to make origami and floral decorations.
Persatuan Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Penang spotlighted traditional clothing, with North Malaysia Malayali Samajam doing the same while sweetening the deal with delicacies.
Penang Hidden Gems hosted a Nanyang coffee workshop, alongside Spice and Curry Production House which delved into the art of making briyani.
Gabungan Persatuan India Muslim Pulau Pinang emphasised the significance of the community's cuisine, as did the Nattukottai Nagarathar Heritage Society.