Tuesday June 21, 2011 - The Star
Recreating the past
THE area surrounding the Meng Eng Soo Ancestral Hall on Jalan Pintal Tali will be transformed into a traditional Chinatown to give it an old world charm for the George Town Festival 2011.
This affect is to evoke nostalgic memories of yesteryear for the hall’s open day from 6pm to 10pm on July 7, in conjunction with the anniversary of the inscription of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.
Organising committee chairman Goh Choo Kee encouraged those attending the event to wear traditional attire.
He said a series of stage performances like dragon dance, Chinese orchestra, joget and Teochew opera would be put up to entertain the crowd.
At the ancestral hall, he said there would also be exhibitions on the hall’s history, costume and kitchen utensils used in the old times.
Goh said the highlight would be the usage of ancient coin replicas during the event.
“In order to give the public a chance to experience the life of early Penang, replica coins of yesteryear will be used for making purchases at stalls selling an assortment of food and other items,” he told a press conference at the ancestral hall on Sunday.
Meng Eng Soo is an ancestral hall of the earliest Chinese secret society — Ghee Hin Kongsi established in 1790.
The hall on Jalan Pintal Tali, or Rope Walk, was restored in recent years and is now under the care and management of Penang Chinese Clan Council.
For more details on the event, call the secretariat at 04-2645576, 016-4123846 or 019-5603034.
The George Town Festival 2011, to be held from July 1 to 31, features over 80 programmes showcasing arts and culture.
It is organised in collaboration with the Penang Municipal Council, George Town World Heritage Incorporated and Penang Global Tourism Sdn Bhd. The Star is the official media partner.
- The Star article HERE
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