Sometimes, old habits die hard. There are a lot of people who love the idea of going for “yum cha”, or transalated from this Cantonese term “drink tea”. It simply means enjoying the Chinese dim sum and having a pot of Chinese tea to accompany, as an outing especially during weekends with the whole family. If you love this culture, be assured that you will also be able to enjoy it while you are at George Town, Penang.
Many people believed that it had become a white elephant, but the new Penang State Government started to revitalise it stage by stage. This is none other than KOMTAR which is situated at the heart of George Town, Penang's tallest building with abundance of space that had once housed the government offices and is well known around the world. At this moment, the restoration works are being done part by part, and some parts of the building will be closed to public.
Golden era of the Malaysia's movie industry was during a time when the silver screen was still black and white, a time when movies were beautifully crafted with rhetorics and humour. That era was brought on by a wonderful man who became the pride of the country, originating from Penang island. He was Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee.
Penang is a place where culture lives. When the island first started to flourish several hundred years ago, merchants from Arab, India and China brought in their respective cultural practices and make them into the heritage that they are today. Other than food, religious activities, dances and singing, music is also an interest that people in Penang really enjoy. For many years, there were the various arts performances under the Penang-YTL Arts Festival, an annual event that sees many performances from talents in the arts industry, such as orchestra, theatrical performances, singing and dancing. Now, for the fourth consecutive year, there is the Penang World Music Festival 2012.
A long time ago, there were some huge cinemas with ground floor and upper floor seatings that can house about a few hundred spectators at any one time. These cinemas eventually start to lose their audience and started operating with a loss with the emergence of video CDs in the market. The VCDs were selling new movies very soon especially during the time when pirate VCDs were rampant.
Whenever foreign visitors come to Penang, what astonish them most is the makeshift altars and stage with performers singing to the deities and gods in the altars. It seems like Penangites are an entertaining bunch, and visitors delight themselves by capturing the performances in video cameras to view again back at home.
If your idea of a Nine Emperor Gods Festival is confined to Phuket, it shows just how little you know about George Town, Penang. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is one of the most interesting features of Penang island.
The Penang state government has taken an initiative to introduce the cultures of Penang to the international front, and one of the largest festival in Penang that received such attention is the Hungry Ghost Festival. In year 2010, the state government had began sponsoring a venue for this event as part of the state's effort to boost the cultural interest and tourist attraction.
When the island was first noticed for its economic value as an international port during the 18th century, the British government had taken steps to ensure the security of the island. The Fort Cornwallis, an old star-shaped fort situated at the north eastern coast of the island, is the largest standing fort in Malaysia.
The tiny island was once a favorite holiday destination with its beautiful beaches, an assembly which attracted tourists worldwide. It stayed as a favorite for a long time, until beaches began to lose the attractiveness when rubbish piled in the wake of the millenium. The Pearl of the Orient started to lose its lustre in the world map, and people were forgetting that there is an island called Penang in this world.
What is in your mind when it comes to the idea of an ideal wedding?
For some, it is all about the photography, the banquet, and the honeymoon. For others, it is all about a simple ceremony involving only family members. There are also some who believe that getting registered is equivalent to a complete marriage without any other ceremony. However, one thing we know for sure is that any wedding needs a good venue, just to make it really memorable.
