Culture of Penang
Encyclopedia
Arts and Culture
The Penang State Museum houses artefacts and cultural exhibits. The present building, which was formerly the Penang Free School, is actually half a building, the other half of the building having been destroyed by aerial bombingStrategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A bronze cast of Captain Francis Light, used to stand outside the museum building. It has since returned to Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is an old star-shaped fort located on the northeastern coast of Penang, Malaysia. It is named after the late 18th century Governor-General of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis...
where it was first unveiled by the colonial administration. A small museum, it has a fine collection of old photographs, maps
MAPS
Maps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
and historical records charting the growth of Penang from the days of Francis Light.
The Penang State Art Gallery and the Pinang Gallery showcase the works of local artists. A newer gallery, the USM ABN-Amro Arts and Cultural Centre, located at Beach Street, was established in 2002 to promote art awareness among Penang citizens. Sadly the USM ABN-Amro Arts and Cultural Centre closed down in early December 2006 due to lack of patronage. The Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
Museum and Gallery possesses a large ethnographic and performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
section with a special exhibition on wayang kulit. The art gallery features works by Malaysian artists. Other establishments promoting art awareness include the Alliance française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
de Penang and Hotel Bellevue.
Penang has a relatively active arts scene. The Penang State Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Penang State Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
The Penang Philharmonic Orchestra is an amateur orchestra and choral group funded by the state of Penang, Malaysia, with a wide-ranging repertoire that emphasizes Western classical music.The resident conductor is Austrian-trained Japanese, Jascha Shimano, while the choral conductor is Australian...
(Pessoc) is a government-supported youth orchestra
Youth orchestra
Youth orchestra may refer to:-Australia:*Adelaide Youth Orchestra*Melbourne String Ensemble*Queensland Youth Orchestras*SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra*Sydney Youth Orchestra...
and choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. The Penang Symphony Orchestra is another amateur orchestra. The Fingerprints Chamber Choir is a leading chamber choir, with members comprising mainly singing teachers and advanced singing students. It has won prizes at several competitions and performs regularly at various festivals and recitals in the country. Other ensembles include the Penang State Chinese Orchestra (a Chinese instrumental orchestra), ProArt Chinese Orchestra, and many other school-based musical groups.
The Actors’ Studio Greenhall performs stage plays from time to time.
Penang hosts the annual Penang-YTL Arts Festival in December, with theatrical performances, contemporary and traditional dances, art and photography exhibitions, as well as concerts of classical and modern music. The programmes are drawn up by the Penang Arts Council every year and are partly sponsored by the YTL Group of Companies, a corporate patron of the arts scene in Malaysia.
Penang is also home to the indigenous boria
Boria
-Culture:*Boria , a form of Ethnic Malays theatre, originated from Penang....
, a fading art form with singing and dancing once popular among the local Malay community.
Lion dance
Lion dance
Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people...
is an ancient art form brought from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
by early Chinese immigrants, and over time has evolved into a distinctive Malaysian style. The earliest record of lion dancing in Malaysia was the official registration of a Penang lion dance troupe back in 1903 but it is indisputable that the Chinese community had been practising it long before then. The Chinese place special significance to this dazzling form of art, associating it good luck, power, strength, majesty and happiness http://wildasia.net/main/article.cfm?articleID=234. Today lion dance remains actively performed especially during Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
and also during the opening of new businesses.
Festivals and Carnivals
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
celebrations and also during the birthdays of Chinese deities. Its history stretched back to 1880. At the turn of the century, Penang became famous for its "Giant Flags Procession". Flag bearers carry and balance giant flag poles (some 10m high) on their shoulders, chins and foreheads then tossing them to the next bearers. Chingay later spread to other states and Singapore.
Penang hosts the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival. Established in 1979, this event attracts competitors from as far as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Dragon boat
Dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...
races can trace their roots back to ancient China and have been going on in Penang waters since 1934 http://www.penangdragonboat.com/. The current festival is held at the Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a fishing village situated on the northwestern part of Penang Island in Malaysia. The Teluk Bahang Dam is situated here. Teluk Bahang is also the entry point for the Penang National Park, which was previously known as the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve.The expensive Mutiara Beach Resort...
Dam.
Pesta Pulau Pinang is a lively and colourful carnival held every year in December.This event were held by Penang State Financial Department under Tapak Pesta and Expo Units and the festivity includes open air concerts, variety shows, food bazaars, fun fairs, exhibitions, pet shows, a beauty pageant and many more.
Thaipusam
Thaipusam
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai . It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as Singapore and Malaysia...
is an annual religious event celebrated by Hindus to commemorate the victory of Lord Murugan over the demons. It falls on a full moon day on the Tamil
Hindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
tenth month of Thai. Devotees and penitents can seen bearing kavadis, and piercing their bodies with hooks and spears without seeming to cause any pain or harm as an act of faith and atonement. The centre of the celebration takes place at the Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple Penang at Waterfall Road where the chariot
Temple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
procession ends.
As in other places with a substantial population of Chinese people, Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
is a grand affair in Penang, celebrated with firecrackers, lion dance, sumptuous feasts and open houses. It is also an occasion for family reunions, visiting friends and relatives, and gift exchanges.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a Muslim celebration which comes after one month of fasting during Ramadhan. It is a joyous celebration which brings families together and it is the time to seek forgiveness from one another. The Hindu festival Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
The Hungry Ghost Festival (Phor Tor) is celebrated on a grand scale by the Penang Chinese. The Chinese believe that on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell would open and that the dead souls would be free to roam amongst the living. The Chinese would placate the 'hungry ghosts' by burning incense, making food offerings and performing Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
on makeshift stages. At the end of the month-long festival, a giant effigy of the King of Hell is burned. Throughout the month, it is ill-advised to travel, go out at night, swim or wed.
Nightlife
Penang comes alive at night, with many lively night spots such as pubs, bars, bistros, discos, cafes, and even roadside stalls. The most popular places to go to are Upper Penang Road with its many trendy pubs such as Soho Free House, Momo, Fame , Mois , Carmen and Slippery Senoritas; Chulia Street which is awash with many little bars popular with travellers; Pulau Tikus with its Belissa Row and the likes of Orange Bar and Segafredo; and Gurney Drive with its Gurney Walk and Gurney Place. The seaside resort of Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah also feature many hotel lounges such as Asmara Lounge, The Lounge and Sunset Lounge. Lower-priced eating places like the ubiquitous mamak stallMamak stall
A mamak stall, is a food establishment which serves mamak food. In Malaysia, the term mamak refers to Tamil Muslims, who generally own and operate them. Although traditionally operated from roadside stalls, some modern mamak stall operators have expanded their businesses into restaurant or...
s open till early in the morning, whose signature dishes are roti canai
Roti canai
Roti canai or roti cane is a type of Indian-influenced flatbread found in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is often sold in Mamak stalls in Malaysia; also in Malay, Minangkabau and Aceh restaurants in Indonesia...
(Indian bread) and teh tarik
Teh tarik
Teh tarik is a hot Malaysian tea beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiams in southeastern Asian country such as Malaysia. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation...
(milk tea). Also, insatiable Penangites often eat till late at night in places like coffee shops.