{"id":524,"date":"2016-02-25T16:35:29","date_gmt":"2016-02-25T16:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/?p=524"},"modified":"2017-01-14T05:54:30","modified_gmt":"2017-01-14T05:54:30","slug":"chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/","title":{"rendered":"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CNY<\/a>I have once again been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Universe!) as the two-week Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off just after I arrived in Penang, Malaysia. With Chinese comprising about half the population of Penang, it is the perfect place to experience this crazy, colourful, chaotic event. I was staying in Georgetown which is all decked out for the holidays. There are red lanterns adorning every street, and giant sticks of incense burning outside the numerous Chinese temples and clan houses in the area. Lion dances regularly take place outside the temples to the rhythm of deafening drums. Fireworks explode over the city at all hours of every night. The Esplanade in Georgetown also serves as a focal point for much for the festivities, which is apparent from the visuals on display there for the holiday period. On the street side, hundreds of hand-made paper hot-air balloons hang from the arches of a pretty walkway – they are individually painted and decorated, and, along with the red lanterns, truly make for an enchanting setting when all lit up after darkness falls. On the other side of the park by the water, there is an installation with big colourful plastic statues of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. As we are entering the Year of the Monkey, the monkey statues are given center stage.\u00a0I was born in the\u00a0Year of the Monkey, so I was excited to be coming into my own year – until I learned that this can actually bring bad<\/em> luck!\u00a0Guess I’d better be extra careful this year…<\/p>\n

\"CNY<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CNY<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Incense<\/a>
Incense burning outside one of the Chinese temples in Penang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first day of the New Year falls on the new moon, which was 8th February this year, and the festival continues until the full moon 15 days later. The celebrations started a day earlier on Sunday 7th, when families gathered along the Esplanade to wander around the zodiac installation, chase soap bubbles and launch plastic FlyCopter toys into the air – when it’s dark, the little blue lights flying up and down to the backdrop of the lanterns and balloons are just so pretty and fun it’s hard not to laugh out loud with sheer delight as you soak up\u00a0the magical scene.<\/p>\n

The first week\u00a0of the New Year is the\u00a0main holiday period for the Chinese people. On these days the traffic is busy and Chinese restaurants and stores are closed as families visit each other, eat together and exchange gifts and well wishes.\u00a0Most of these days are pretty quiet for us foreigners, but there are plenty of exciting public events over the\u00a0fortnight to keep us entertained!<\/p>\n

Snake Temple Celebration<\/h3>\n

\"CNY<\/a>The 5th day of the New Year, on Friday 12th, saw one of the bigger celebrations\u00a0taking place at the Snake Temple in Penang, so-called because of the numerous snakes (yes, real live ones) hanging out inside. The atmosphere here, as with many of the other events throughout the New Year celebration, is an interesting mix of festive fun and devotion. Walking up towards the temple, you pass by souvenir stands, food stalls, loud music and street performances. Arriving at the temple itself you are greeting by a more devout scene as many worshippers\u00a0are seen praying with incense offerings. The temple was built in honour of Chor Soo Kong, a deified 11th century Buddhist monk, and with his birthday falling on the 6th day of the New Year, many worshippers come to pray and offer birthday wishes. A “Fire Watching” ceremony also takes place, where the flame height of special fires is said to predict the economic outlook of Penang for the coming year. Unfortunately this ceremony is held within the temple and with crowds of people trying to squeeze into the small space, I wasn’t able to get close enough to actually see what was going on! My disappointment was short lived, however, as I was soon distracted by the impressive fireworks display which served as the climax to the evening. Fireworks and firecrackers are ubiquitous\u00a0throughout Chinese New Year, as the Chinese believe that the loud noises scare away any evil spirits to welcome luck and prosperity for the coming year.<\/p>\n

\"Street<\/a>
Street festivities on the way to the Snake Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A lion dance outside the Snake Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Worshippers<\/a>
Worshippers praying at the Snake Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"CNY<\/a><\/p>\n

Penang Chinese New Year Celebration<\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>
A street performer at the CNY celebration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following day, many streets in Georgetown are closed to traffic, and lined with stalls and various stages for the official street festival celebration. From about 5pm, the streets are lined with people wandering from one stage to another, munching on hawker food along the way. Joining them, I took in a variety of performances including dancing, singing, flag tossing, acrobatics, martial arts and my favourite, an exciting and dramatic\u00a0diabolo group show. On this day, various Chinese clan houses in the area also open their doors for the public to visit and take in the intricate architecture and artwork within. The atmosphere on the streets\u00a0was fun and lively, and yet again, the party came to a close with another impressive fireworks display at the Esplanade.<\/p>\n

\"Penang<\/a>
Penang CNY celebration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A colourful lantern and umbrella display at the street festival<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A few deities posing for pictures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jade Emperor God Festival<\/h3>\n
\"Roasted<\/a>
Roasted pig offerings to the Jade Emperor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This event is actually a Hokkien celebration – the Hokkien people are descendent from the southern Fujian area of South China. On the 8th day of the lunar year the Hokkien people celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor, their supreme deity who sits above all others, and ring in their own version of the New Year. This was one of the stand-out days of all the celebrations I experienced. Taking place at Chew Jetty in Georgetown, the street is lined with a huge table full of food offerings to the Jade Emperor, including the traditional offering of whole roasted pigs! Once again I was surrounded by people praying with incense to the various altars set up outside and within the temple. Of course, fireworks are a given at this point, but the number\u00a0and volume\u00a0of the Hokkien explosions\u00a0makes the rest of the Chinese New Year fireworks seem like sparklers! They are firing all through the evening, but at midnight, the whole area just becomes a cacophony of sound as endless boxes of fireworks are set off all the way up and down the street, as well a deafening firecrackers set off on the ground or around one of the altars at the temple.<\/p>\n

\"2016-02-16<\/a>While all this noise was going on above and around me, I was squashed up against the entrance of the temple itself. After a group of devotees dressed as various deities make their offerings within the temple, it is time for the crowd of worshippers to receive blessings from the god of prosperity. Ang pao<\/em> are traditional gifts throughout Chinese New Year, often given to children and unmarried family members, and are given out on the street at the various public events over the two-week period. They are red envelopes containing a small amount of money and are said to bring good fortune to the recipient for the coming year. For Hokkien New Year, the god of prosperity hands these out himself in the temple, Santa Claus style – so you can imagine the crush at the doors to receive them. Luckily I just happened to be standing beside the doors when the crowd started filing in so I was able to slip into the line of people entering the temple, to some bemused glances and smiles as I was the only foreigner there! Even though I didn’t quite understand what was happening, I bowed my head with gratitude as the god placed the envelope in my hand, before following everyone else in a circuit around the small temple, bowing again with respect as we passed the Jade Emperor altar at the back of the room.<\/p>\n

It was really one of those moments when I felt so very fortunate to be here – in this amazing place,\u00a0taking part in an ancient and traditional ritual with local people, who themselves are nothing but warm and kind to this wide-eyed white-skinned stranger in their midst. I stopped various people throughout the evening to ask what’s going on with this?, and who’s that guy?, and why are they all going over there? On this night, as indeed during the rest of the two-week celebrations, they always responded with warm smiles and helpful information or advice. I came home from this one on an absolute high from the joyful energy soaked up throughout the evening.<\/p>\n

\"Worshippers<\/a>
Worshippers praying to one of the Jade Emperor shrines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hokkien<\/a>
Hokkien New Year fireworks!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kek Lok Si Temple<\/h3>\n

This Buddhist temple is said to be the biggest in Malaysia and one of the biggest across South East Asia. It is a domineering and beautiful structure sitting on a hillside overlooking the town of Air Itam. The construction includes\u00a0several prayer halls, pathways, a large pagoda and a pavillion housing an enormous statue of\u00a0Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. During Chinese New Year, worshippers flock to this temple to offer coins in a circuit around the base of the statue, as well as writing wishes on ribbons and placing them on the many ribbon trees in place around the temple.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0architecture itself and the styles of the 10,000 Buddha images within the temple reflects a recognition of the diversity of ethnic origins of Buddhist devotees attending the temple. It is an incredible space, worthy of a visit at any time of year, but\u00a0the Display of Lights\u00a0over the Chinese New Year period is a sight to behold. From\u00a0about 7pm thousands of\u00a0lanterns and fairy lights are switched on, turning the temple into a magical wonderland of light in the darkness.<\/p>\n

\"Just<\/a>
Just a few of the reputed 10,000 Buddha images in the Kek Lok Si temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The magnificent Guanyin statue at Kek Lok Si<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"2016-02-21<\/a>
Kek Lok Si Display of Lights under a full moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The Kek Lok Si pagoda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chap Goh Meh<\/h3>\n
\"In<\/a>
In case you missed my orange, Mr Right, it’s jessica@happychanter.com \ud83d\ude09<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last but not least, the Chinese New Year celebrations culminate with\u00a0Chap Goh Meh – translated simply as the 15th day of the New Year. This day is also traditionally considered as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day, due to the tradition of unmarried women writing their name and contact details on an orange and throwing it into the sea in the hope of finding a suitable husband. This unusual tradition actually originated in Penang, so once again, there is no better place to witness it – and participate!\u00a0Gathering at the seafront, the event kicked off\u00a0with a bit of a media frenzy as a group of nyonyas<\/em>, women who are descendant from the Chinese immigrants to Malaysia between the 15th and 17th centuries, threw the first oranges into the sea. After that,\u00a0the seafront wall was crowded for the evening as women (and some men!)\u00a0threw orange after orange in the hopes of finding the perfect partner. My friends Piet and Julia recorded the whole event, so you can check it out and\u00a0see\u00a0me sending off my own orange<\/a> over on their Digital Nomad Daily YouTube channel!<\/p>\n

This tradition is only half the story of Chap Goh Meh, however, as the Chinese people close the New Year celebrations with the biggest night of them all.\u00a0The main stage at the Esplanade saw some of the best performances of the entire festival, all the while those ever-present FlyCopters did their pretty blue dances in the sky in the surrounding park. Of course, no Chinese New Year event would be complete without, yes you guessed it, even more fireworks – this biggest display of the whole two-week period brought the festival to a close.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The nyonyas wait alongside the Penang Chief Minister (right) to throw their oranges<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"One<\/a>
One of the fantastic dance performances at Chap Goh Meh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The party ends with fireworks bursting under a full moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prosperity, Luck and Belief<\/h3>\n
\"My<\/a>
My lucky ang pao<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Chinese New Year festival is an interesting mix of party and prayer, with all the festivities you would expect for welcoming a new year by any calendar, on top of the various divine birthdays and celebrations happening to fall within the same lunar period. But by far the main\u00a0aspect of whole event\u00a0is the emphasis on luck and good fortune.\u00a0The Chinese are big believers in the power of lucky charms, symbols and colours, which is apparent across\u00a0the various Chinese New Year traditions.\u00a0The colour red represents good fortune and joy, and so is the predominant colour throughout the festival – the lanterns and decorations are red, many people wear red clothing, the ang pao<\/em> envelopes are red. Orange and mandarin fruits are said to represent gold, therefore these are also frequently offered back and forth in the hope of welcoming\u00a0good fortune and wealth. I understand now why a\u00a0homeless man reacted so emotionally when I gave him the orange that someone else had handed me during Hokkien New Year. I hope it brings him good fortune this year.<\/p>\n

Almost everyone I asked about the various customs I observed – from the many lion and dragon dances over the two weeks, to the offering of coins and ribbons at the Kek Lok Si temple, to the endless fireworks and fires burning outside temples – told me that each\u00a0action was carried out\u00a0to usher away bad luck and bring good fortune\u00a0and prosperity for the coming year. It reminded me of the devotees\u00a0I observed at the Hindu Thaipusam festival, where faith\u00a0in the ritual can hold enough power even to suppress pain and blood flow! If you haven’t read that post\u00a0yet, check it out here<\/a>! The fact is that\u00a0the efficacy of any<\/em> tradition or ritual comes down to how much you believe<\/em> it will work.\u00a0This is really the essence of the\u00a0Law of Attraction – ask, believe, receive. At the end of the day, whatever customs you follow or faith you subscribe to, believe in it with all your heart and it won’t do you wrong. After seeing the enthusiasm with which the Chinese people conduct these rituals, I would bet that\u00a0the year ahead will be a good one for most.<\/p>\n

I hope the Monkey brings you all lots of luck and happiness in 2016 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"signature<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have once again been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Universe!) as the two-week Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off just after I arrived in Penang, Malaysia. With Chinese comprising about half the population of Penang, it is the perfect place to experience this crazy, colourful, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13],"tags":[78,74,72,80,81,79,76,69,73,77,75],"class_list":["post-524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spirituality","category-travel","tag-chap-goh-meh","tag-chinese-new-year","tag-festival","tag-hokkien-new-year","tag-jade-emperor","tag-kek-lok-si","tag-luck","tag-malaysia","tag-penang","tag-prosperity","tag-temple"],"yoast_head":"\nParty and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia - Happy Chanter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia - Happy Chanter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I have once again been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Universe!) as the two-week Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off just after I arrived in Penang, Malaysia. With Chinese comprising about half the population of Penang, it is the perfect place to experience this crazy, colourful, […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Happy Chanter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-25T16:35:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-01-14T05:54:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jessica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jessica\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jessica\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/149635da36ff5a290aa52a4b0f74da75\"},\"headline\":\"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-25T16:35:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-01-14T05:54:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2591,\"commentCount\":4,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Chap Goh Meh\",\"Chinese New Year\",\"Festival\",\"Hokkien New Year\",\"Jade Emperor\",\"Kek Lok Si\",\"Luck\",\"Malaysia\",\"Penang\",\"Prosperity\",\"Temple\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Spirituality\",\"Travel\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/\",\"name\":\"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia - Happy Chanter\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-25T16:35:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-01-14T05:54:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/149635da36ff5a290aa52a4b0f74da75\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/25\\\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Happy Chanter\",\"description\":\"nam myoho renge kyo\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/149635da36ff5a290aa52a4b0f74da75\",\"name\":\"Jessica\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/11e5072b32e92ac52ad90970ebf40a85f857f92c3b0bbb19d323ea6f8508b22a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/11e5072b32e92ac52ad90970ebf40a85f857f92c3b0bbb19d323ea6f8508b22a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/11e5072b32e92ac52ad90970ebf40a85f857f92c3b0bbb19d323ea6f8508b22a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jessica\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/happychanter.com\\\/index.php\\\/author\\\/jessica\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia - Happy Chanter","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia - Happy Chanter","og_description":"I have once again been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Universe!) as the two-week Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off just after I arrived in Penang, Malaysia. With Chinese comprising about half the population of Penang, it is the perfect place to experience this crazy, colourful, […]","og_url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/","og_site_name":"Happy Chanter","article_published_time":"2016-02-25T16:35:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-01-14T05:54:30+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Jessica","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jessica","Estimated reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/"},"author":{"name":"Jessica","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/#\/schema\/person\/149635da36ff5a290aa52a4b0f74da75"},"headline":"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia","datePublished":"2016-02-25T16:35:29+00:00","dateModified":"2017-01-14T05:54:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/"},"wordCount":2591,"commentCount":4,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg","keywords":["Chap Goh Meh","Chinese New Year","Festival","Hokkien New Year","Jade Emperor","Kek Lok Si","Luck","Malaysia","Penang","Prosperity","Temple"],"articleSection":["Spirituality","Travel"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/","url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/","name":"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia - Happy Chanter","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg","datePublished":"2016-02-25T16:35:29+00:00","dateModified":"2017-01-14T05:54:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/#\/schema\/person\/149635da36ff5a290aa52a4b0f74da75"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG-20160206-WA0004-300x228.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/25\/chinese-new-year-in-penang-malaysia\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Party and Prayer: Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/","name":"Happy Chanter","description":"nam myoho renge kyo","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/#\/schema\/person\/149635da36ff5a290aa52a4b0f74da75","name":"Jessica","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/11e5072b32e92ac52ad90970ebf40a85f857f92c3b0bbb19d323ea6f8508b22a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/11e5072b32e92ac52ad90970ebf40a85f857f92c3b0bbb19d323ea6f8508b22a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/11e5072b32e92ac52ad90970ebf40a85f857f92c3b0bbb19d323ea6f8508b22a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jessica"},"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/author\/jessica\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6MgIF-8s","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":495,"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/10\/how-to-be-happy-savour-every-sensation\/","url_meta":{"origin":524,"position":0},"title":"How To Be Happy: Savour Every Sensation","author":"Jessica","date":"10 February 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"You can be happy, right here, right now. It is possible to summon a feeling of\u00a0joy\u00a0in every single moment, no matter where you are or what you're doing. And if\u00a0it is possible to consciously create a joyful moment, doesn't it then follow that you can bring that practice that to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9HappyChanter feel the rain","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/feel-the-rain.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/feel-the-rain.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/feel-the-rain.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/feel-the-rain.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":470,"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/02\/05\/divine-mutilation-malaysia-thaipusam-festival-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":524,"position":1},"title":"Divine Mutilation: Malaysia’s Thaipusam Festival 2016","author":"Jessica","date":"5 February 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"My first stop in Malaysia was a short visit to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. And as luck (or the Universe) would have it, this trip\u00a0just happened to coincide perfectly with a Tamil Hindu festival I hadn't heard of\u00a0- Thaipusam! Turns out this one is\u00a0a pretty big deal in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spirituality"","block_context":{"text":"Spirituality","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/category\/spirituality\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9HappyChanter Thaipusam","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/986-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/986-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/986-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/986-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/986-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/986-2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1339,"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/29\/nam-myoho-renge-kyo-meaning-and-interpretations\/","url_meta":{"origin":524,"position":2},"title":"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo – Meaning and Interpretations","author":"Jessica","date":"29 January 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Chanting nam myoho renge kyo is a truly powerful practice which can transform your life and mindset in hugely positive ways. There are a few ways you can focus your mind when chanting, but the practice becomes even more profound when you focus your attention on the meaning of what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LOA"","block_context":{"text":"LOA","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/category\/loa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/lotus-sutra.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/lotus-sutra.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/lotus-sutra.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/lotus-sutra.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/lotus-sutra.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":745,"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/31\/a-new-year-reflections-and-hope\/","url_meta":{"origin":524,"position":3},"title":"A New Year: Reflections and Hope","author":"Jessica","date":"31 December 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, 2016 has been a real humdinger of a year, amiright?! On a global level, it has sometimes felt like the world is collapsing around us. We've lost so many incredible artists and global icons. We've witnessed political calamities unfolding like Brexit and the election of Trump. In public commentary,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9HappyChanter sunset new dawn","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sunset-new-dawn.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sunset-new-dawn.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sunset-new-dawn.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sunset-new-dawn.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sunset-new-dawn.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":577,"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/03\/07\/thanks-in-advance-how-to-get-whatever-you-want-in-3-simple-steps\/","url_meta":{"origin":524,"position":4},"title":"Thanks In Advance! How To Get Whatever You Want In 3 Simple Steps","author":"Jessica","date":"7 March 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Imagine having a\u00a0conversation like this with a friend: \"Hey buddy! Thanks\u00a0so much!\" \"For what?\" \"That 100 quid!\" \"Ummm... what 100 quid?\" \"The 100 quid you're going to give me!\" \"What, you need a loan?\" \"Haha! No, not a loan, you're just gonna give it to me!\" \"Ehhh are you crazy?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9HappyChanter grateful mind plato","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/grateful-mind-plato.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/grateful-mind-plato.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/grateful-mind-plato.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/grateful-mind-plato.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/grateful-mind-plato.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/grateful-mind-plato.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":401,"url":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/08\/serenity-in-solitude-why-you-should-spend-more-time-with-your-self\/","url_meta":{"origin":524,"position":5},"title":"Serenity In Solitude – Why You Should Spend More Time With Your Self","author":"Jessica","date":"8 January 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"From my last post you might be forgiven for thinking that life on Lanta is a never-ending party. Well I guess you wouldn't be entirely wrong; there is always a party to go to with fantastic people if and when you're in the mood. However,\u00a0my most profound and rewarding moments\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"solitude companion","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/solitude-companion-1024x678.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/solitude-companion-1024x678.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/solitude-companion-1024x678.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happychanter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/solitude-companion-1024x678.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":777,"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524\/revisions\/777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happychanter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}