Chinese New Year Penang 2010

Chinese New Year Penang is always a big event. This year at the 20th February it was no different. The Chinese New year Penang is always well organized with shows all over the heritage area in the Armenian Quarter in George Town. This year was no different.

The afternoon started more or less around 3pm with lion dances, performances and people walking around in traditional costumes. Of course all temples were open. The Khoo Kongsi temple had a Taiwanese Puppet Show. Other temples were open to experience the typical Chinese culture of Penang.

By accident we ran into a dragon dance

To be seen where exhibitions of traditional skill and handicrafts, handmade nyonya shoes, medicine, fortune telling (what will the Year of the Tiger bring you???).

Children could explore traditional games as rope jumping, spinning tops and there was a Chinese Chess competition.

There was a yoyo performance in Lebuh Armenian followed by New Year songs, a baba Nyonya dance performance. The Sun Yat sen house had the traditional exhibition but more interesting (as I had seen the Sun Yat sen house last year) was a modern art gallery with some interesting works. The Syed Alatas Mansion, the Muzium Islam had of course it's doors open and this is always worth a visit.

Left: Dragon Dance
Right: Chingay performance

Penang has many divers Chinese at the island. There were eshibitions of the the different cultures: Cantonese, Hakka, Hainan and Hokien (and you could of course try some of the special food.

88 Drummers at the Chinese New Year Penang in front of the Masjid Kapitan Kling

There was an exhibition of the 12 Seasonal Festivals at Lebuh Acheh. Unfortunately I missed that and I missed the martial arts performances. As usual there was way too much to see with a total of 10 stages and a continuing program from 3pm to 12 am.

Lion Dance at Masjid Kapitan Kling, the white bulbs, according to some Chinese are the gods taking care of the people.

We went to the Cheah Kongsi had an interesting prosperity rice stall and a happiness candy stall. There was a DIY T-shirt and recycle bag printing and the temple, always a delight to see, was of course very busy. The living quarters, next to the temple were open where you could have a look how people used to live here.

Prosperity rice stall in Cheah Kongsi

I skipped the Khoo Kongsi Chinese Opera to see the Chingay performances and 88 drummers in front of the Masjid Kapitan Kling.

These days are always very intensive as there is so much to see and there are so many people.

The Chinese New Year Penang was closed, as always with the Chap Goh Meh, the last day of the Chinese New Year. The day is always a big festival in Penang, but this year was even more spectacular then other years. Here is the full story.

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Read more about the Hokkien Chinese New Year and More photo of the the Hokkien New Years celebration in Kuala Kurau

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