Malaysia has always been a popular tourist destination for Chinese tourists. In recent years, more and more Chinese compatriots have come to live in Malaysia, Chinese restaurants, Chinese supermarkets are opened one by one, and more and more Chinese students are studying abroad.
However, Malaysia is a multi-racial country, with the top three ethnic groups including Malays (57.3%), Chinese (22.9%) and Indians (6.6%). The Chinese are the second largest ethnic group in the country.
But do you know which part of Malaysia is most like China? The chinese here are the most concentrated and the Chinese culture is the strongest, that is Penang.
Chinese culture is preserved intact
Penang has been planned as a modern city, but was declared a UNESCO World Heritage City in 2008 due to the preservation of many historic buildings.
Among them, the chinese historical buildings have completely preserved the traditional style of Chinese-style courtyards. At that time, the Chinese in Nanyang relied on the architectural memory of their hometown in South China and then integrated the architectural styles of various parties.
Just like the former residence of Zhang Bishi, a famous Nanyang Chinese merchant in the late Qing Dynasty, it is the existing Qing Dynasty Chinese garden-style residence in Southeast Asia. Although it is a combination of Chinese and Western architecture, the mountain-style roof, plaques, wooden-framed windows, etc. at the entrance are full of the atmosphere of traditional Chinese architecture.
"Zhang Bishi's Former Residence (Blue House)"
Penang is home to many Ancestral Halls, also known as "companies", which can be used by people with the same surname for gatherings.
This exquisitely decorated Chinese temple is a large Chinese ancestral hall with a history of nearly 200 years, built by the Qiu family to imitate the Qing Dynasty palace, and then rebuilt after repeated damage in demolition, fire and war, so that it can fully restore its former glory.
《Qiu Company (Ancestral Hall)"
Built in 1894, the Peranakan Museum is the home and office of the famous Chinese Kapitan (the leader of the local Chinese community). Now that the original former residence has been converted into a museum, the thousands of pieces of the collection will certainly give you a deep and comprehensive understanding of Nyonya culture, and also open the eyes of Chinese tourists who are not familiar with Nyonya culture.
In Penang, you can also see the scene of old Shanghai.
Chinese historical iconographer, traveler and professional photographer Er Dongqiang once shared with the Malaysian media that during his visit to Penang to collect historical materials, he was surprised and moved by a bird's eye view of George Town, the capital of Penang, and when he saw a red roof tile building at his feet, it was like seeing the old Shanghai of the 80s.
Chinese remain universal
One of the most convenient places in Penang is that there are no communication problems. Here, Chinese is universal, as long as you encounter a Chinese face, you can almost use Chinese communicate with each other.
In fact, in daily life, penang Chinese most often use Hokkien dialect; Interestingly, Penang's Hokkien dialect is also a native language. Unlike the dialects of Fujian, China, Penang's Hokkien dialect is a blend of Malay, English and other dialects and is a symbol of the Chinese in Penang.
In addition to saying that whether it is a sign or a street sign, walking on the streets of Penang can be seen everywhere Chinese words, signs such as tea rooms, meals, hostels, cake shops, medicine shops, stall signs, etc.; Street signs such as Blacksmith Street, Hong Kong Tsai Exit, Penang Law, Stone Street, Copper Boy Street, etc.
It is worth mentioning that these road signs are mainly marked in Malay or English, and the Chinese names below do not seem to match the current scene, but in fact, these Chinese road names are related to the early historical background of the road section.
Magnificent Buddhist temple Taoist temple
Founded in 1891 and fully completed in 1904, Kek Lok Si Temple covers an area of 120,000 square meters and is the largest and most magnificent Chinese Buddhist temple in Malaysia and southeast Asia.
Kek Lok Si Temple is also a temple attraction that frequently appears in the propaganda album, especially the ceremony of lighting up before the Spring Festival, which has attracted much attention, and the colorful lights have decorated the temple, and it has lit up people's beautiful expectations for the new year, so the people of Penang have the saying that "if the Kek Lok Temple is not lit, it is not counted as the New Year".
Doumu Palace, which is a popular temple that is less than a hundred years old. Beihai Doumu Palace was founded in 1971, and the scale of Beihai Doumu Palace has continued to develop over the years until it was finally completed in 2000.
Beihai Doumu Palace is mainly dedicated to Doumu Yuanjun and the Ninth Emperor, and holds celebrations on the occasion of the New Year's Festival. Here you can admire the amazing art of carving, whether it is the exquisitely carved roof ridge or the lifelike dragon pillar, it is worth savoring the craftsman's kung fu of carving beams and paintings.