Phor Tay's Dance Troupe: A Brewing Success
4 min read
ADAPTING A CHINESE FOLK DANCE
Leung cha (“cooling tea”) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a…
Bringing Home Our Heritage Chris Ong’s Quest To Revive Penang’s Peranakan Chinese Material Culture
5 min read
Step inside hotelier Chris Ong’s world, where a lifelong passion for Peranakan antiques has become a mission to preserve Penang’s heritage. From rare collections in his hotels to documenting forgotten rituals, he is keeping both culture and memory alive for future generations.
George Town’s Fate, Predicted In John Clang’s Dreaming Islands Project
6 min read
DID YOU KNOW that George Town became a city on 1 January 1957 at 8.30am? It made the front…
Phoenix Press Rising: Publishing as a Creative Industry
4 min read
From printing bus tickets in post-war Malaya to operating advanced presses today, The Phoenix Press embodies Penang’s culture of adaptation and endurance. Its story is one of quiet innovation, where tradition and technology continue to coexist across generations.
Potehi Evolves in Southeast Asia: In Penang, it’s Fate is in Good Hands
5 min read
In Penang, Potehi thrived in the late 1940s and well into the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately, Potehi lost its popularity to television and film by the 80s. Today, there are only four troupes left, with a majority of the members aged 60 and above.
Keeping the Art of Death Offerings Alive
5 min read
When people die, they take nothing with them to the afterlife. Or do they? In the Chinese Taoist and Buddhist beliefs, the deceased do.
Lubna Jumabhoy: A Global Citizen of Penang
5 min read
Born in Bombay and growing up in Karachi before moving to Malaysia (then Malaya), Lubna Jumabhoy is a teacher of the Japanese floral art ikebana, and is France’s representative in Penang.
Art As An Inclusive Force
5 min read
Penang artist Sumay Cheah blends aesthetics with community impact. With 24 installations since 2017, her immersive works have won awards like the Singapore Good Design and Taiwan’s Golden Pin Design Award.
Stamp Collecting: The King of Hobbies
5 min read
THE SAYING GOES that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”—that’s how it began for Ng…
Penang Institute Localises the George Town Literary Festival
7 min read
ALREADY FAMOUS FOR its street food and street art, Penang is determined to capture the word on the street too.…
Khoo Kongsi: 118 Proud Years of History
5 min read
FROM SIN KANG VILLAGE in Fujian, China, men sailed south for greener pastures. Steer left, and you would arrive in…
We Are What We Throw Away
5 min read
HOW MANY OF us like to look through rubbish? Ipoh born artist Chin Pik Wun is one who would raise…