Every year on the 14th night (5th Feb 2012) of the Lunar New Year, hundreds of devotees from all over Penang will visit the the Tanjung Tokong Tua Pek Kong Temple for its annual flame watching ritual or “ Chneah Hoay”.

The 14th night is also believed to be Tua Pek Kong’s birthday.During this ceremony, embers in a ceremonial urn are fanned until the flames leaped up. The coming year’s fortune will be foretold from the size and shape of the fire.

On the 15th day (6th Feb 2012), which is the actual day of Tua Pek Kong, families will offer prayers to the deity.

In the mid 18th century, 40 years before the establishment of George Town , Tua Pek Kong or his human form Chang Lee left China with his two brothers . They were heading to Sumatra but their boat was blown to Penang instead.

They lived and settled in Penang and they are believed to be buried near the temple. Therefore, the Tanjung Bungah Tua Pek Kong temple is believed to be original Tua Pek Kong temple.

Fire Watching at Tua Pek Kong, Tanjung Tokong

Venue: Tua Pek Kong Temple, Tanjung Tokong
Date: 5th & 6th of February 2012
Time: 9pm-12.00 midnight

Maulidur Rasul falls on the 5th of February this year. The celebration commemorates the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), one of the most influential figures in human history and his teachings.

Maulidur Rasul is one of several auspicious celebrations for Muslims and it is officially celebrated at State level in Penang every year.

In conjunction with this special celebration, the State Government will be organising various activities with the objective of celebrating the history of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.’s teachings and in effort to further unite the Muslim Community for mankind to once again embrace moments of glory in the civilisation of man.

The program will start with a Maulidur Rasul procession from Padang Esplanade to Dewan Sri Pinang at 7.00 a.m. At 9.30 a.m, the Governor of Penang, TYT Tun Dato Seri Utama (Dr) Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas will arrive at Dewan Sri Pinang for Quranic Recital and short talk on the Prophet. The programme will be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia.

Date: 5th February 2012
Venue: Dewan Sri Pinang, Light Street
Time: 7.00 am -12.00pm

For more information please call : 04-263 7200

Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH) will be organizing a Chap Goh Meh Celebration along Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling (outside PCTH) on the 4th of February from 9pm – 12 midnight.

From 7.30pm to 9.30pm visitors will be entertained with other cultural performances inside PCTH’s auditorium which includes a Chinese orchestra and a choir with over 100 members.

At 9.30, there will be a dragon and phoenix dance along Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling. Hawker stalls would also be set up along Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling from 6pm onwards.

For more information please contact : 04-2611343

Date: 4th February 2012
Venue: Streets of Harmony, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling
Time: 9pm – 12.00midnight

It is the time of year again Chinese households all over the world prepare for the most important event for the Chinese community- Chinese New Year (CNY). On New Year’s eve, families and relatives gathers around to celebrate together and have a reunion dinner. Throughout this Chinese New Year season, Penang comes alive with countless events and for you to enjoy and participate!
This year, for the 1st time ever, a CNY countdown celebration will be organised by Penang State Government, in conjunction with My Astro CNY Countdown Gala 2012 (LIVE).
Penang’s CNY Eve Celebration will be broadcasted on air (Astro AEC channel), simultaneously with a few other locations in Malaysia.

Highlights of the night are LED dragon, lion dance and chingay performance. There are also exciting lucky draws to be won!
The prizes includes a 4 Day 3 Nights cruise package from Penang to Phuket and Krabi sponsored by Star Cruises, hotel stays and buffet vouchers. Don’t leave too early as there will a beautiful display of fireworks at 12 midnight sharp.
The night will starts as early as 8.30pm~ Be sure to get there early as we are going to be on TV sharp on 9pm! See you!

Time: 8.30pm – 12.05am
Date: 22nd Jan 2012
Venue: City Hall, Esplanade Penang

Attire: CNY look (anything comfortable will do)
To learn: My Astro Happy Dragon dance

FREE admission

For more information please call : 016-4434307

The folk tale has it that the Hokkiens escaped mistreatment by ruthless army in ancient China by seeking refuge in a sugarcane plantation. They emerged unharmed on the 8th day of Chinese New Year. The birthday of the Jade Emperor. Hence the New Year of Hokkiens.

Hokkien New Year is celebrated widely in Penang. The Hokkien community in Chew Jetty is celebrating this year’s Thni Kong Seh in a grand scale. Over 30 long tables of food and fruits, big bottles of cognac and trays, baskets, and sugarcane stalks.

Hokkien New Year (Thni Kong Seh)

Time: 7pm to midnight
Date : 30th January 2012 – 31st January 2012
Location: Chew Jetty, George Town, Penang

Organizer: Chew Jetty Committee

Tel: 012-4126809

A shot at fame: Ashkin posing for a photoshoot during the audition for a role in Raj Ganesh’s film Gentleman in George Town on Saturday.

GEORGE TOWN: Five aspiring actresses turned up for an audition for director/scriptwriter C. Raj Ganesh’s upcoming action film Gentleman.

The film is about a British drug lord, Daniel Read, hiding in Malaysia from Interpol, and a special force police officer tracking him down ala James Bond.

Among the five who were interviewed and went through a series of photoshoots at the SOHO Freehouse & Penthouse in Upper Penang Road on Saturday night was student Jacquelin Ashkin, 15, who found out about the audition through Facebook.

“This is very new to me and I have high hopes of landing my first role in this local film, thanks to my parents who have been very supportive,” she said.

Reggeina Rachael Rodrigues, 21, was at the club for a drink with her friends when she came across the audition.

“I’m just trying my luck, as chances like these don’t come by often,” she said.

Also present were the main actor and actress, K. Mahesh Kumar, 29, and A. Rebecca Jeeva Rani, 24.

“In this movie, I will play a very naive girl who falls in love with the drug lord, and I will show him the inner side of Penang the food, culture and the people,” said Rebecca Jeeva Rani, a business administration graduate.

Mahesh Kumar, a fitness model and a business investor, said he would be playing a suspended cop brought back to the force to help track down the drug lord.

Penang-born Raj Ganesh said the movie would be filmed and produced by his company, Rocky Productions, and would be mostly in English as well as in Tamil.

He said the audition was meant to seek actresses to play the role of a policewoman and a waitress in the film.

Raj Ganesh said it would also star Miss Global International Malaysia 2011 Sheela Khaw Chwee Yin, 24.

He said he hoped to finish filming by the end of the year, and planned to air his movie in eight countries Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Australia, New Zealand, England and the United States.

“As most of the shooting will be done in various locations in Penang, I believe this is a way we can help bring Malaysia to the international level and put Penang on the map.

“Being an independent film producer, I face many barriers in producing this film,” said the 25-year-old mechanical engineering graduate.

Raj Ganesh added that he would be holding another audition for other extras on Jan 21.

-Thestar

Organised by the Penang Culture and Tourism Development Office with UCSI Communications Sdn Bhd as the Event Management Consultant, the 3rd edition of the Penang World Music Festival 2012 promised to be an exciting event that would attract world music enthusiasts from all corners of the world.

Various interesting programs had already been lined up for the festival which will be held from March 30 to April 1, 2012 at the Quarry Park, Botanic Gardens in Penang.

Among them are the workshops which will be held in the afternoon, Kidz World workshop and the nightly concerts. The workshops will be held from 2pm to 5pm while the Kidz World workshop will be stage for an hour from 5pm.

The Kidz World workshop is meant for children and aim to be a fun-fill educational platform for them to learn about various musical instruments.

A total of 18 bands had been invited to perform at the nightly concert and they will present a unique blend of world beat. These bands are from Australia, Korea, Africa, India as well as local groups and together they are expected to rock the festival with their awesome beat and tempo.

Event: Penang World Music Festival 2012
Venue: Quarry Park, Penang Botanic Garden.
Date : 30th March – 1st April 2012.
Ticket: three-day pass is RM220 each for adult and RM120 each for a child.

For More Information Click Here.

One can find the mysterious and wonderful world of fused glass in I-box Museum of Glass, Penang. This museum is the first glass museum in Malaysia and the only fused glass museum in the world.

The Museum has been given two titles in the Malaysian Book of Records, first is The First Glass Museum in Malaysia and second is the Longest Motive Glass Painting in Malaysia.

The size for the longest glass batik painting is 12.2m in length and 1.5m in height. It took three artists and about five months to complete the painting which is based on the glass batik concept.

Visitors can also purchase glass art such as souvenirs, glass paintings, keychains and accessories.

Address: 80-0 , Jalan Mount Erskine, 10470 Tanjung Tokong, Penang
Tel: : 604-899 2080/ 604-899 1080
Opening hours: Mon-Fri : 9.30am to 6.30pm; Sat : 9.30am to 5.00pm

For more information please visit :

Oranised for the sixth year running, the art camp by Equator Academy of Art in Penang island carried the theme ‘Circus Masters’ this year.

This led to an attendance of 140 secondary school students and school leavers compared to only 80 in 2010.

The camp sought to expose them to the fields of art and design and to unleash their artistic horizons.

Among them was Lim Yong Hao, 17, an ex-student of SMK Jalan Damai who had recently completed his SPM examinations.

He came all the way to the island from Bukit Mertajam.

“I was here with my parents to enquire about the college’s programmes and I stumbled upon the camp,” said Yong Hao.

He planned to further his studies in graphic design.

The recent camp’s activities revolved around its circus theme.

Jon Kuiter, the college’s interior design lecturer from Britain, played evil circus master Theodore Patch, while art and design student Loh Zhi Ying played his adoptive daughter Annabelle .

Camp participants had to win ‘keys’ from activities in order to help Annabelle undo the chains binding the circus elephant Bluey and also to help her scare off her adoptive father.

“This is a great opportunity for the students to enjoy themselves and to also give them an opportunity to learn things out of their normal school syllabus,” said Kuiter.

According to 3D animation lecturer Jason Chuah, the activities drawn up for the camp included elements of fashion design, animation, interior design and architecture.

“This is my second time at the camp and I have learnt a lot especially during the fashion design session where we were to come up with a clown costume,” said Vynny Leow, 16.

Cheryl Goh, 16, from SM Chung Ling Butter-worth, and Ooi Wei, 15, from SM Phor Tay, were lucky to have met each other during the camp.

They connected almost instantly.

“I found out about this camp through an email sent by the college and I am happy that I put my holidays to good use,” she said.

Cheryl plans to further her education in art and design.

Her newfound friend, however, wished to pursue a career in architecture.

“It is fun to be able to learn new things in a totally different environment.

“As interested as I am in art at school, I never managed to access such a wide range of knowledge before,” she said.

-Thestar

Time: 6.30pm to 1.30pm Daily
Route: Between Hard Rock Hotel and Long Beach Hawker Center

If you are around Batu Ferringhi, keep a look out and hop on to the Magical Mystery Van to the Hard Rock Cafe Penang.

Hard Rock Cafe Penang is now offering free shuttle services daily between 6.30pm till 1.30am at designated bus stops between Hard Rock Hotel Penang and Long Beach Hawker Center. The shuttle service is available every 20 minutes.

Hard Rock Cafe is the place to hang out from day till night in Penang.