Chap Goh Meh open house

Chap Goh Meh open house promises lots of excitement

GET ready to show off your best nyonya kebaya during the Penang Chap Goh Meh open house at the Esplanade in George Town on Feb 24.

The kebaya contest, open to those aged 12 and above, will be held at 8.30pm. Entry is free.

Contest coordinator Michael Cheah said participants would be asked a few questions when they parade on stage.

“The first prize winner will take home RM1,000, a bouquet and a tiara,” he told a press conference at the State Chinese (Penang) Association in Perak Road.

Cheah said the first and second runners-up would win RM600 and RM300 respectively and a bouquet each.

There will also be two consolation prizes of RM100 each.

He said entry forms could be obtained from the association’s office (Tel: 04-2269560) from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Entries close on Monday.

Association president Datuk Tan Gin Soon said the contest was aimed at encouraging young people to understand the Baba and Nyonya culture.

“There will also be Baba and Nyonya dancing and singing performances at the open house,” he said.

He said a six-member group, The Main Wayang Company, which is Singapore’s first Peranakan cultural arts and theatre company, would be performing at the event.

Penang Tourism Development and Cultural Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang said the Lions Club would be organising the orange tossing ritual at the open house and would be selling 3,500 oranges at RM1 each at the venue.

He said the programme for the open house to be held from 6pm to 11pm also included a giant snake dance, LED dragon dance, lion dance and Chingay performances.

Food lovers are in for a treat. Besides the free food which will be served from 8pm to 9.30pm, food stalls selling popular Penang hawker fare will be set up.

The open house, which is expected to draw 10,000 visitors, will culminate with a 10-minute fireworks display at 11pm.

For details, call the Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee hotline at 016-4110000 or the office at 04-6505136.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Chap Goh Meh merriment

Chap Goh Meh merriment

THE Chinese New Year period in Penang is set to end with a bang on Chap Goh Meh on Feb 24 at the Esplanade.

The state government will hold a Chap Goh Meh open house there from 6pm to 11pm. A 10-minute fireworks display will light up the sky at 11pm.

State Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law said there would be the customary tossing of mandarin oranges and a decorated bus ferrying a dondang sayang troupe.

“Guest can enjoy performances by four lion dance troupes on stilts and a Baba Nyonya group from Singapore.

“Last year’s celebration recorded a participation of about 15,000 people.

“We expect more than 20,000 people to attend this year’s open house,” he told a press conference in Komtar.

Law said there would also be chingay, dragon dance and cultural performances.

Besides free food which will be served from 8pm to 9.30pm, he said there would be more than 20 food stalls selling popular Penang haw-ker fare throughout the duration of the event.

He said the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce was sponsoring the fireworks display.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Penang’s Chap Goh Meh bash

Penang’s Chap Goh Meh bash

MORE than 10,000 people are expected to turn up for the Chap Goh Meh celebration at the Esplanade seafront in Penang today, where the ever-popular orange-throwing tradition will take centre-stage.

Jointly organised by the state government and Astro, the festivities will kick off at 4pm featuring an array of exciting activities including Chingay, lion dance and 24-season drums performances as well as Astro artistes wowing the crowd.

There will also be a procession of dondang sayang (lullaby of love) float as well as a ‘Baba Nyonya’ performance.

Chap Goh Meh or the 15th day of the lunar calendar is a day many will look forward to as it is not only the last day of Chinese New Year, it is also a day where single ladies hope to find their “prospective husbands”.

Also known as Yuan Xiao, many eligible women would take the opportunity to throw mandarin oranges into the sea or river hoping to get a good partner.

Traditionally, Chap Goh Meh was one of the few occasion where maidens were allowed to leave their homes.

Bachelors could only admire the lovely ladies who were always accompanied by guarding family members.

-News courtesy of The Star-