An Evening Of Lights @ Khoo Kongsi is one of the main events organised by PGT for the public where Khoo Kongsi turns on all its lights at its courtyard to accommodate interesting Chinese arts and cultural performances. Come witness and take photos of Khoo Kongsi’s spectacular display of lights under the sparkling twilight! Adding on to the excitement at Khoo Kongsi’s courtyard are food stalls to tantalise your taste buds and craft stalls with interesting items to take home.

Bring along your family and friends to witness the fun and interesting happenings at Khoo Kongsi! Don’t leave your camera behind!

Admission is absolutely FREE!!

Date : Saturday, 25th May 2013
Time : 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm

The roof top of the Khoo Kongsi will be fully lighted up on this day. Free entry from 7pm onwards.

01 March 2013

“THANK you for letting us visit this beautiful, historic place. Best wishes!”

These were the words of actress Jodie Foster, penned in the Khoo Kongsi visitor’s book, during the filming of Anna and the King at the Khoo Kongsi in George Town in 1999.

The remarks also did not escape the watchful eyes of film location expert Goh Mai Loon, who included them in a souvenir album entitled Anna and the King in Penang: Malaysia an ideal film location site. This album was used as a means to promote Penang to filmmakers.

The album featured the various places used in the filming of the movie, which lasted 12 days, such as the Swettenham Pier, Armenian Street, the Town Hall building, Khoo Kongsi and the Syed Al-Attas Mansion on Armenian Street.

According to Goh, who was on the editorial committee to produce the 32-page full-colour bilingual album, the album promoted heritage preservation and conservation.

“Anna and the King put Penang on the world map. It showed Penang people how we could benefit from a movie filmed in Penang,” she said, adding that the editorial team spent three months working on the album.

The proceeds from the album went towards funding conservation and heritage education-related programmes, facilitated by the Penang Heritage Trust.

Apart from Anna and the King, other movies which have been filmed in Penang include Indochine and Paradise Road. Not to be forgotten is the movie initiated by Goh — Road To Dawn — which depicts an obscure episode in Sun Yat Sen’s revolutionary life, when he sought refuge in the state from July to December 1910.

The movie, unlike Anna and the King, was filmed entirely in Penang. Goh made sure of that. Filming took 38 days from Aug 3 to Sept 10, 2006.

“Initially, Derek Chiu (the director) was not sure what he could film in Penang. But after seeing the sites, he was convinced and quite firm on filming all in Penang.”

Goh, who coordinated the cooperation between China and Malaysia for the movie, noted that the beauty of Road To Dawn was that real locations were used, without any touch-up.

“This amazed the production team. The people and music were authentic.

“The thing about filmmakers is they love to film on actual sites. ”

The movie featured natural scenery, historic buildings and streetscapes still found in Penang which are reminiscent of the 1910 era, such as Armenian Street, Tok Aka Lane, the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu Temple, the Kapitan Keling mosque and a Christian cemetery.

Goh said she had had several encounters with tourists who came here after watching Road To Dawn, citing an instance in 2007 when a Chinese couple cancelled their trip to Bali to come here instead.

“Another example was a Taiwanese family coming here to visit after watching the movie.”

Since Road To Dawn, Goh said, Penang had become a centre for filming.

For example, the Cantonese movie by Bryan Gao titled The Beggar Hero, starring Hong Kong actor Wayne Lai, was filmed here last year at 60 different sets in 25 days.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/made-in-penang-films-make-island-a-big-hit-1.226448

Date: Saturday, 16th February 2013
Time: 3.00 pm- 12.00 am
Venue: Armenian St, Ah Quee St, Acheh St, Canon St, Chulia St, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Soo Hong Lane and Kampong Kolam
Admission: FREE

Penang CNY Cultural & Heritage Celebration is an annual event patronised by Penang State Government and Penang Clan Council（檳州各姓氏宗祠聯委會）, organised by Clan-Association Youth Penang（檳州各姓氏青年團聯委會） in conjunction with Chinese New Year. This event take place at George Town, Penang. George Town had been recognised as one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, you shall not miss this Chinese New Year Open House in Heritage City.

For those who had enjoyed the fun and happiness during Penang Chinese New Year Cultural & Heritage Celebration 2012（祥龍獻瑞慶壬辰新春文化廟會2012）, we are going to bring the event back on 16th February 2013, 3pm-12midnight, at George Town Heritage Site, Penang, Malaysia. Remember to book your timetable or flight tickets, come to Penang and join this huge event!

Information and photo source: http://www.funpenang.com/event/penang-chinese-new-year-cultural-heritage-celebration-2013/

KHOO Kongsi’s sprawling courtyard was aglow with lights re cently for a night of cultural music that drew hundreds of tourists.

The event was organised by the Penang Global Tourism.

Khoo Kongsi switches on its lights on the last Saturday of each month to wow tourists who don’t normally have access at night to the historical temple at Cannon Square.

Local and foreign tourists were delighted with the opportunity to watch Khoo Kongsi at night, and they were not disappointed.

This time around, the Phor Tay Ex-Pupils Dance Group entertained the crowd as the temple was beautifully lighted up.

The dance troupe performed a string of lively dances such as the ribbon, red drum, Miao ethnic, Chinese handkerchief and Yunnan province dances.

The troupe also danced to songs such as Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Buka Cinta, and Dondang Sayang.

There were stalls selling handicraft, accessories and clothes, as well as food for those wanting to have a meal while they watched the performances.

Swedish tourist Josef Steveneson, 56, who was with a group of European tourists, was delighted with the performances.

“I heard this splendid temple is usually not open at night, so I seized the opportunity when the tourist guide invited me to come here tonight.

“The temple is truly beautiful all lighted up at night. The courtyard is nice and spacious, the stage immaculately decorated, and the entertainment something to be treasured,” he said.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/khoo-kongsi-shines-bright-and-beautiful-1.172302

MESMERISING: The historical clan house treats visitors to a cultural extravaganza

GEORGE TOWN: ONCE a month, the majestic Khoo Kongsi temple at Cannon Square becomes sparklingly bright as its spacious courtyard gets illuminated for “An Evening of Lights at Khoo Kongsi” that features Chinese culture.

This time around, the historical clan building played host to hundreds of attendees showcasing Chinese cultural and folk dances performed by 5678 Dance Studio.

Dancing and singing to the infectious rhythm of the music, the youthful dancers mesmerised the crowd with tantalising offerings that included contemporary, folk, traditional and modern numbers.

Australian visitor Luke Moore, from Brisbane, said he heard about the event through brochures at the hotel where he and his family were staying.

“The hotel staff recommended that we watch this show as it only takes place once a month, with the spectacular temple all lighted up at night,” said Moore.

“We are glad we made it here as it is truly an experience not to be missed, to be in the courtyard with the magnificent temple and also the superb cultural show.”

His family of four nodded in agreement.

It was a wonderful night for all who turned up, as the multi-cultural opening number really got the crowd in the right mood.

Dancers in colourful costumes and trappings twirled and whirled their way through numbers such as Good Luck, Blooming Jasmine, Moonlight on the Lake, Kiss me Once, Childhood Memories, Nobody and a revamped Banana Boat.

Organised by Penang Global Tourism, the event also featured a mini bazaar where handicrafts as well as a nice selection of hawker fare were for sale.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/showcase-of-chinese-culture-at-khoo-kongsi-1.136822

Monday August 27, 2012

THE niceties of Chinese folk culture were unravelled in a kaleidoscopic melange of colours, rhythms and graceful dance moves in the illuminative showcase — An Evening of Lights at Khoo Kongsi.

The historic clan house, specially lit up for the occasion, provided a majestic backdrop for the bedazzling repertoire of Chinese cultural numbers, expertly performed by guest dancers from the 5678 Dance Studio.

As gentle Oriental chords resonated across the vast courtyard, the vibrantly-clad fleet-footed performers twirled and swirled around with much gaiety, flailing chiffon ribbons and waving fans.

And with a few contemporary routines and singing performances sandwiched in between, the crowd of several hundred, mostly foreign tourists, had much exoticness to savour throughout the night.

One of them, Dutchman Theo ven Iperen, 47, who came with his wife and two ballet-inclined daughters, said even though they were quite familiar with the world of dancing, what they saw here was totally new.

“We had no inkling about this kind of traditional Chinese dances.

“They were very colourful and gave us a good insight into a whole new culture,” he said.

“My daughters loved them and even tried to dance along at some point,” said ven Iperen, who saw the event poster at his nearby hotel and decided to check it out.

Briton Mark Yaxley, who was visiting the country for the first time with his girlfriend, felt the showcase was among the highlights of their trip so far.

Having visited Kuala Lumpur before stopping over in Penang, he liked the contrasting settings.

“Over here, things are more laid-back and you really get a feel of its rich history and heritage. We walked along the Street of Harmony and found it amazing that you have different religious houses all next to each other.

“With cultural shows like this, everything comes to life,” he opined, also expressing his hope that such events can be held more often.

The night’s programme started off with a multi-cultural dance number that paid tribute to the nation’s ethnic diversity and it was followed by an array of traditional numbers, each representing the different ethnic minorities in China.

A feast of colours: The young dancers, clad in traditional costumes of various Malaysian ethnicities, posing for a photo outside the beautifully illuminated Khoo Kongsi. A feast of colours: The young dancers, clad in traditional costumes of various Malaysian ethnicities, posing for a photo outside the beautifully illuminated Khoo Kongsi.

They included the auspicious ‘Good Luck’ dance, infused with streaks of red and yellow.

Its upbeat rhythms then gave way to soothing melodies in ‘Blooming Jasmine’ and ‘Moonlight on the Lake’.

While the former had dancers twirling around in gentle shades of pink and white, the latter saw them prancing flamboyantly in cyan and lavender.

A hint of alluring playfulness could be found in ‘Kiss Me Once’ while ‘Childhood Memories’ brimmed with youthful exuberance as dancers recalled their childhood days of frolicking.

These were contrasted by more modern numbers, such as the Hawaiian-inspired ‘Banana Boat’ dance and an adorable cover of Wonder Girls’ hit, ‘Nobody’.

The recent event, organised by Penang Global Tourism, also featured a mini-bazaar with traders selling various handicraft and novelty items, as well as a selection of hawker fare.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/8/27/north/11903316&sec=north

Tuesday July 10, 2012

Final touches: A Wat Bo troupe member making final adjustments to a shwdow puppet before the show at the Khoo Kongsi.
Photos by CHAN BOON KAI and ROYCE TAN (THE STAR)

PERFORMING for the first time in Penang, the Wat Bo Large Shadow Puppet troupe left the audience enthralled with their Sbaek Thom, an art form unique to Cambodia.

Sbaek Thom, which literally means ‘large leather’, is a type of puppet dance-drama similar to the wayang kulit of Malaysia.

All Sbaek Thom stories are episodes from the epic tale of Reamker based on the Ramayana.

The puppets are generally larger than those used in wayang kulit and are made of cow leather which has been carefully cut into shapes to show characters in the drama.

Troupe leader Vann Sopheavouth said that to make the hermit character, the leather used must be from a cow that has died naturally, and the craftsman must be of pure heart and dressed fully in white when producing it.

The 50-minute show held at the Khoo Kongsi in Cannon Square was based on the third episode of the Reamker, called the ‘Sau Neakabas’.

As there are no official scripts for the story, the performance was conducted from memory.

Minutes before the show started, troupe members meditated while Sopheavouth sprinkled holy water on them and on the puppets.

Six troupe members provided the music on traditional Cambodian instruments — the Sampo (barrel drum), Roneat Ek (small xylophone), Skor Thom (a pair of large barrel drums), Chhing (small cymbals) and the Sralia (a quadruple reed oboe).

The show which was conducted in the Khmer language was translated into English.

The troupe comprising 16 performers aged between 18 and 40, was started by monks at the Saytwo Refugee Camp in 1993.

The monks continued to practise the art form when they moved to Siam Reap and established themselves at the Wat Rajabo Pagoda (Wat Bo).

The troupe was brought in by AirAsia as part of its Asean-level corporate responsibility sponsorship with the support of the CLA, a group dedicated to reviving endangered Cambodian art forms,

Also held at the Khoo Kongsi was a Hokkien opera performance by the Jade Opera Troupe and Arts and Acts from Singapore.

The show called ‘The Painted Skin —A Ghost Story’ was written by the troupe’s artistic director Dr Chua Soo Pong.

The tale was about a scholar who was seduced by a demon.

Both performances were held in conjunction with the George Town Festival.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/7/10/north/11627112&sec=north

04 July 2012

FUN: Penang’s landmark tourist site George Town was abuzz with cultural street performances as revellers celebrated the of the third jubilee of the Unesco World Heritage site

GEORGE TOWN: PENANG’s heritage enclave was abuzz with cultural street performances in conjunction with the George Town Festival to celebrate the third anniversary of the Unesco World Heritage Site.

Crowds thronged the Khoo Kongsi and Cheah Kongsi near Lebuh Armenian to enjoy the sights and sounds of the inner city.

The visitors were seen checking out handicraft, clay figurines and all sorts of knickknacks on sale at the various booths set up.

Many were impressed by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic’s portrait on the wall outside the Khoo Kongsi.

It was a sight to behold as Canon Square was illuminated.

People from all walks of life crowded the streets as they were entertained by Chinese opera performances ate Canon Square, with many photography fans snapping away with cameras on tripods.

Some were also seen taking pictures with iPads.

A wayang kulit show depicting a folklore also hogged the limelight with a crowd gathering at the narrow alley in front of the Cheah Kongsi.

Food was also aplenty with people enjoying local favourites as traditional music played in the background.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/heritage-enclave-comes-alive-with-celebration-1.102034

GEORGE TOWN: The George Town Festival attracted thousands to the Khoo Kongsi last Saturday.

In celebration of the performing arts, many headed for the Armenian Street Project to enjoy the food, culture and crafts there.

The festival, which ends on July 15, will showcase a string of international acts as well as homegrown talents.

Catch performances by Fauziah Gambus, Malaysia’s renowned leading gambus player, a mak yong show and Arabic and sufi music from South Africa’s leading group, Desert Rose.

There is also a performance by the famous Opera Fest Children’s Choir of Malaysia tomorrow at 8pm, at the MPPP Town Hall under choral conductor Kam-Fong Sun Yoke.

For a heart-stopping experience, catch the Wushu Madness II — The Realm Between on Sunday at 8.30pm, at Penangpac, Straits Quay.

One of the world’s most awarded choirs, the Philippine Madrigal singers, will perform at Penangpac on July 2 at 8pm.

For details, visit georgetownfestival.com or www.facebook.com/GeorgeTownFest or call 04-261 6308.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/artistes-add-colour-to-festival-1.99504

Date: Sunday, 29th January 2012
Time: 3.00 pm- 12.00 am
Venue: Armenian St, Ah Quee St, Acheh St, Canon St, Chulia St, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Soo Hong Lane and Kampong Kolam

The Penang State Government and Penang Chinese Clan Council Penang is organizing a grand event to usher the Year of the Dragon.

The highlight of the programs include the following:

1) 6 “ Chinese Traditional Livelihood Zone” , “Clan Area”, “Chinese Native Area” featuring Chinese virtue, traditional Chinese cuisine, Dragon calligraphy , photo exhibition, 12 Lunar seasonal festivals exhibition, other traditional Chinese cultural exhibition, performances and demonstrations.

2) Down Memory Lane with traditional games, handicraft trails, traditional Chinese cultural dance, opera shows, lion dance, Wushu performance at Khoo Kongsi, Cheah Kongsi, Lim Kongsi, Yap Kongsi and Penang Youth Centre.

3) Local Penang delights and hotel food stalls decoration.
The organizers would like to invite everyone to participate in this exciting event.

For further information about the event, kindly contact the organisers Mr Cheah Chuan Wooi : 012-4741312 or Mr Cheng Wei Pint : 012-5273888.

Source: http://visitpenang.com.my/2012/01/20/chinese-new-year-cultural-heritage-celebration-2012-2/