Six heritage walks
THE halcyon days of Chulia Street, one of George Town’s oldest thoroughfares, and the rich experiences of its residents will be retold in ‘Cherita Lebuh Chulia’ from June 29 to July 7.
The community oral history project, organised in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of the city’s Unesco World Heritage Site listing, will chronicle how life was along the historic street between 1945 and 1970.
Collective memories of long-time residents will be presented in various means such as video documentaries, guided walks, comic books, interactive exhibitions and life-sized installations.
There are fascinating tales of snail-paced trams plying the street, coolies camping along the five-foot ways, children playing kites and men smoking opium in wooden huts, among others.
Project curator Kuah Li Feng said Chulia Street had a diverse community comprising mainly of the Chinese and Indian-Muslims who ran various trades and businesses.
The street, among the earliest laid out in George Town by Francis Light, was first known as Malabar Street. In 1798, it was changed to Chulia Street in reference to the old Chola kingdom of India.
Both names indicated a predominant South Indian community of settlers in the early days, but by the 19th century, it was home to a multi-cultural community and became the main route for various festivals and processions.
“The activities on Chulia Street from the 1940s up till 1970, its golden years after the Second World War and prior to the abolition of Penang’s Free Port status, are etched in the minds of many long-time residents,” Kuah told a press conference yesterday.
The programme highlights start with the Cherita Living Room exhibition at the Penang Malay Art Gallery at 167, Chulia Street, open daily from 10am to 6pm. It will feature an interactive map where users can share their own experiences of Chulia Street, videos and printed panels.
Look out for the Cherita Lebuh Chulia comics with informative illustrations which will be sold at RM10 each at the gallery.
Cherita Moments will feature 10 life-sized cutouts placed at various spots along the street. Depicting familiar events, they are titled Delivery Man, Operation Duty Free, Come to the Parade, On The Move, More Than A Ride, Memory Keepers, Go Fly Kite, Full House, The Notorious Area and Healing Power.
In Cherita TV, there will be special screenings of short Chulia Street documentaries at four selected coffee shops — the Ros Mutiara Restaurant, Sai Lam Kopitiam, Pak Hock Kopitiam and A&A Cafe — where residents share their memories and experiences on camera.
All three events above are open to the public and will be from June 29 to July 7.
Project manager Lim Chung Wei urged the public to come and learn about these untold stories, and gain a better understanding and appreciation of the historic street.
“We can then remember how Chulia Street and George Town used to be like,” he said.
The final component, Cherita Walk and Talk, is a series of specially designed guided walks that bring participants up close with local residents. There are six walks, to be held on June 29, July 5 and July 6 at 10am and 2.30pm each day.
Each walk is limited to 15 participants, and the organisers encourage only those with some experience or knowledge about Chulia Street to join. There is a fee of RM15 per person, inclusive of the comic book. Those interested may call 017-5081140 to register.
Cherita Lebuh Chulia is organised by George Town World Heritage Incorporated which will also be holding the two-day heritage celebrations on July 6 and 7 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the inscription of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
There will be a showcase of traditional arts, crafts and cuisines of Penang’s local communities in Armenian Strret and its vicinity during the celebrations.
~News courtesy of The Star~
THE halcyon days of Chulia Street, one of George Town’s oldest thoroughfares, and the rich experiences of its residents will be retold in ‘Cherita Lebuh Chulia’ from June 29 to July 7.
The community oral history project, organised in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of the city’s Unesco World Heritage Site listing, will chronicle how life was along the historic street between 1945 and 1970.
Collective memories of long-time residents will be presented in various means such as video documentaries, guided walks, comic books, interactive exhibitions and life-sized installations.
There are fascinating tales of snail-paced trams plying the street, coolies camping along the five-foot ways, children playing kites and men smoking opium in wooden huts, among others.
Project curator Kuah Li Feng said Chulia Street had a diverse community comprising mainly of the Chinese and Indian-Muslims who ran various trades and businesses.
The street, among the earliest laid out in George Town by Francis Light, was first known as Malabar Street. In 1798, it was changed to Chulia Street in reference to the old Chola kingdom of India.
Both names indicated a predominant South Indian community of settlers in the early days, but by the 19th century, it was home to a multi-cultural community and became the main route for various festivals and processions.
“The activities on Chulia Street from the 1940s up till 1970, its golden years after the Second World War and prior to the abolition of Penang’s Free Port status, are etched in the minds of many long-time residents,” Kuah told a press conference yesterday.
The programme highlights start with the Cherita Living Room exhibition at the Penang Malay Art Gallery at 167, Chulia Street, open daily from 10am to 6pm. It will feature an interactive map where users can share their own experiences of Chulia Street, videos and printed panels.
Look out for the Cherita Lebuh Chulia comics with informative illustrations which will be sold at RM10 each at the gallery.
Cherita Moments will feature 10 life-sized cutouts placed at various spots along the street. Depicting familiar events, they are titled Delivery Man, Operation Duty Free, Come to the Parade, On The Move, More Than A Ride, Memory Keepers, Go Fly Kite, Full House, The Notorious Area and Healing Power.
In Cherita TV, there will be special screenings of short Chulia Street documentaries at four selected coffee shops — the Ros Mutiara Restaurant, Sai Lam Kopitiam, Pak Hock Kopitiam and A&A Cafe — where residents share their memories and experiences on camera.
All three events above are open to the public and will be from June 29 to July 7.
Project manager Lim Chung Wei urged the public to come and learn about these untold stories, and gain a better understanding and appreciation of the historic street.
“We can then remember how Chulia Street and George Town used to be like,” he said.
The final component, Cherita Walk and Talk, is a series of specially designed guided walks that bring participants up close with local residents. There are six walks, to be held on June 29, July 5 and July 6 at 10am and 2.30pm each day.
Each walk is limited to 15 participants, and the organisers encourage only those with some experience or knowledge about Chulia Street to join. There is a fee of RM15 per person, inclusive of the comic book. Those interested may call 017-5081140 to register.
Cherita Lebuh Chulia is organised by George Town World Heritage Incorporated which will also be holding the two-day heritage celebrations on July 6 and 7 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the inscription of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
There will be a showcase of traditional arts, crafts and cuisines of Penang’s local communities in Armenian Strret and its vicinity during the celebrations.
~News courtesy of The Star~
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