King of fruits beckons

King of fruits beckons



Star attraction: Workers preparing the giant durian and other tropical fruit replicas for Durian Durian 2.0 at Penang Times Square in George Town, Penang.

CALLING all lovers of the King of Fruits. The Durian Durian 2.0 Festival is set to kick off tomorrow at the Penang Times Square in Jalan Datuk Keramat.

Back for the second consecutive year, the three-week festival will see various types of the best durians such as ‘Kun Poh Ang Bak’, ‘Hor Lor’ and ‘Red Prawn’ being showcased.

Ivory Properties Group Bhd corporate communications manager Ann Tan said among the new feature in this year’s festival was a stall selling a wide variety of local fruits besides durians.

“A giant durian replica has been erected in front of the mall’s water fountain just like last year to welcome visitors to the festival.

“However, this year we have added some other replicas of other local fruits too,” she said when contacted yesterday, adding that the exact number of vendors for the festival would be confirmed soon.

Tan said a Durian Eating Challenge would take place on the first and second day (Saturday and Sunday) from 2pm to 3pm at the Chin Ho Plaza.
v “The durian eating challenge will also take place again on June 23 from 3pm to 4pm at the same venue.

“There is also the Durian King Competition 2013 on June 30 from 1pm to 3pm,” she said.

Tan added that besides having the opportunity to taste the best durians and local fruits all under one roof, visitors who participate in the Durian Thorns Counting Contest from June 15 to June 27 also stand a chance to win a grand prize of a three nights Phuket-Krabi Cruise for two in an Oceanview Stateroom onboard the SuperStar Libra worth RM5,800.

Durian-related products such as durian coffee and durian ice-cream will also be sold during the festival.

“Other activities include Charity Batik Painting, Durian Art Attack, Durian Durian 2.0 Colouring Contest, Durian Clay Art, Durian Art Attack and Durian Face Painting which will be available on different days throughout the festival,” added Tan. The event is open from 11am to 9pm daily. Details, call 04-2109020.

~News courtesy of The Star~

From medical hall to heritage inn

From medical hall to heritage inn

A TRADITIONAL Chinese medical hall turned heritage inn in the heart of George Town in Penang provides guests with a rare glimpse into the old-world charm of the building.

The newly restored Ren i Tang, located in 82-A, Penang Street, used to be the Yin Oi Tong Chinese Medical Hall which occupied three shoplots for 124 years.

The shoplots, which are pre-war houses belonging to the Cheah Kongsi, are now managed by Green Buildings Sdn Bhd.

As explained on its website, the name ‘Ren i Tang’ is the phonetic spelling of Yin Oi Tong in Mandarin, which is ‘The Hall of Benevolence’ when translated.

Opened for business in April this year after a two-year restoration, the inn is strategically located in the Unesco World Heritage site and just a walking distance to popular tourist spots and other heritage buildings in inner George Town.

The inn’s proprietor Eu Yeok Siew said the restoration cost more than RM2mil.

She said the objective was not only to restore the building but also to encourage people to see how they can recycle the things that they have.

“This is a recycling and conservation project. Eighty percent of the wood in the building is made of recycled timber.

“The wooden furniture in the hotel is made from the wood that was left in the building or those found in scrapyards.

“We also reused the old items left behind such as old bottles and newspapers and turned them into quirky decorations,” she said yesterday at the building.

Eu, who is also Green Buildings director, added that the ground floor was retained as a ‘trading area’ with Bistro Tang serving breakfast for guests and is open to the public for lunch and dinner.

“The second and third floors have been converted into 17 guest rooms,” she said.

She added that with its air well, the premises are filled with natural lighting and good ventilation.

She said a museum showing items and herbs left behind by Yin Oi Tong was in progress, and is expected to be open in August.

“We have invited Yin Oi Tong Medical Hall to take up a unit on the ground floor.

“They are now operating in Paya Terubong but they would like to come back here as they have a lot of loyal customers,” she said.

It was previously reported that Yin Oi Tong was forced to move out of the three shoplots as it could not sustain the business.

The medical hall, which was set up by Chinese immigrants who came to Malaya, was initially based in Pitt Street before it moved to Penang Street.

In 2009, several non-governmental organisations such as the Cultural Heritage Advisory Team and Penang Heritage Trust, as well as heritage researcher Tan Yeow Wooi, had joined hands to try to preserve the building’s traditional usage as a medical hall.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Chance to see Penang after dark

Chance to see Penang after dark

THE public will have the opportunity to get a closer look at the nightlife in the George Town heritage enclave in Penang in a 5km night walk on July 6.

The Heritage Family Nite Trail, organised by Bank Simpanan Nasional’s Sports and Welfare Club, will start at 9.15pm from the Esplanade.

Participants will be able to view the nightlife along roads with heritage and cultural attractions such as Leith Street, Muntri Street, Love Lane, Chulia Street and Queen Street along the 5km route.

“It will be a wonderful opportunity for families to come out in the evening and check out what the oldest part of George Town looks like at night,” said organising chairman Wan Mohd Razali Wan Jamal in Penang recently.

He said police would provide ample traffic control to ensure that participants would be able to enjoy the walk safely.

“We have also invited welfare organisations to bring along the physically handicapped. Our bank staff members will help push their wheelchairs,” he said, adding that 5,000 people were expected to join the walk.

The walk will be preceded by exhibitions by government and non-governmental organisations at the Esplanade from 5pm. There will also be free general health screening for the public.

There will also be a Festival of Dances event at the Esplanade at 9.15pm where cultural dances by the Culture and Arts Department and boria performances by SMK Permatang Tok Jaya will be staged.

The organisers have also prepared commemorative T-shirts, goodie bags and a lucky draw for participants.

Registration forms for the walk are available at all BSN branches in Penang and at www.facebook.com/bsnheritagewalk. Entry is RM10 per person. The closing date for entries is Saturday.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Ben’s Vintage Toy Museum

Three generations of toys Ben’s Vintage Toy Museum displays some pretty unique items indeed



Back to the past: Visitor Jasmine Chai Jia Min, 23, admiring a robot on display at the Museum in Lebuh Acheh.

TUCKED in a quiet nook in Lebuh Acheh, George Town, is an intriguing vintage toy museum with over 10,000 toys.

Run by a father and son team, Ben’s Vintage Toy Museum carries vintage toys from as early as the 1800s up to 1995.

Malik Ben Junior, 21, the curator and manager of the museum said the museum was the brainchild of his father, Ben.

“My father had the idea to put together our family collection of toys that was started by my late grand-father.

“My late grandfather used to be a sailor and he picked up toys from the various countries he visited during his voyages,” said Malik.

He said that the family collection, together with some toys purchased from avid collectors, made up the museum.

“The oldest toy in the museum is the Victorian Era Triangle Horse which is handcrafted from wood. It was made in the 1800s,” he said.

Malik said that most of the toys in the museum were still in working condition.



Walk down memory lane: Visitors admiring the toys at Ben's Vintage Toy Museum in Lebuh Acheh, George Town.

“Visitors can even try out some of the toys such as the pinball console from the 1960s,” he said.

Among the many attractive vintage toys on display at the museum are a Penny Farthing bicycle from 1860, and original wind-up Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dolls from 1930.

There are even vintage superhero comics from the 1950s.

He said that many of his visitors, particularly adults, have expressed happiness at seeing toys that they played with during their childhood.

“Some even cannot hold back their tears as they recall their childhood memories upon seeing the toys,” he said.

“This is why we came up with the idea for the museum, to spread the joy and happiness that toys can bring. It is a walk down memory lane for the parents while the children can learn about toys that their parents played with,” he said.

Ben’s Toy Museum is open from 10am to 6pm daily except Fridays when it is open from 3pm to 6pm, and Mondays when it is closed.

Visitors are charged an entry fee of RM6 for adults and RM3 for children.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Fest kicks off in colourful style

Fest kicks off in colourful style

The George Town Festival 2013 which promises to be a feast of the arts got under way last night.

The month-long festival’s opening ceremony in Esplanade began with drums played by a group of six members along with two conductors.

The group clad in striking orange T-shirts guided some 100 spectators to play along with the instruments provided to them such as the kompang and sita drum.



Blast of culture: Visitors to the first day of the George Town Festival watching a kite taking off above the Esplanade Field.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng joined in to play a drum in the 10-minute session which was held to display the rich diver-sity of Penang.

Later, Lim accompanied the Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas to fly the state’s official kite.

The traditional wau bulan together with other colourful kites in all shapes and sizes dotted the skies to the delight of spectators.

Minutes later, a giant yellow kite in the shape of an octopus also took to the skies.

Enjoying the merry atmosphere were festival director Joe Sidek, Seberang Prai Municipal Council president Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Penang Municipal Council head Datuk Patahiyah Ismail.

Earlier, both local and foreigners flocked to the venue, drawn in by the number of huge kites flying above the open field.

The kites, which were provided by the Asean Kite Council, were brought in from Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Children were awed by the designs of the different kites. One kite, depicting a dragon named Zulu, was brought in from Indonesia.

A kite-making workshop for those who registered prior to the festival was held.

There was also a drum circle learning workshop where participants were given a lesson on playing the percussion by a group of percussionists.

The carnival mood went on with a group of stilt walkers entertaining the crowd with their performances.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Festival in full bloom with orchids, bonsais

Festival in full bloom with orchids, bonsais

Everything is coming up roses for the annual Penang Floral Festival where the “stars” of the show are the orchid, bonsai and adenium.

About 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the eight-day festival at the Penang Botanic Gardens’ car park area in Jalan Kebun Bunga from now till June 9.

With the theme “Penang Floral Paradise”, the festival will feature, among others, 57 classes of orchids.

“In total, we have about 900 orchid plants of various species and hybrids, brought in by orchid growers and enthusiasts from all over the country,” said Federation of Malaya Orchid Society vice-president Tony Tan.

“There will also be orchid shows on certain days of the festival and talks by our experts on how to grow and manage the plants,” he said at the Gardens yesterday.

The Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens will hold a Nature Education Programme daily during the festival from 9am to noon at the Gardens’ car park, hawkers’ complex and Botanika Outreach.

The activities include canvas shopping bag printing, T-shirt printing and a children’s programme.

There will also be talks on plants as well as methods to regrow plants and composting techniques.

T-shirts, canvas bags, fertilisers, leaf crafts, quilled cards and painted glass bottles will also be on sale.

The Penang Floral Festival 2013 is open from 9am to 7pm daily. Admission is free.

The festival is jointly organised by the state Tourism Office, Penang Art Society (Bonsai and Suiseki Division), Federation of Malaya Orchid Society and the Penang Botanic Gardens.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Fast becoming a city of murals

Fast becoming a city of murals

GEORGE TOWN is fast becoming a city of murals as 13 more paintings are being drawn on a 50.3m stretch of wall along Magazine Road in the city.

The series of murals will, among others, depict what Penang looked like in the olden days and impressions of the state’s future.

Art teacher Jim Oo Chun Hee, 26, who is among those who initiated the mural project as an effort to exhibit the art of Penang, said the project began in June last year and was expected to be fully completed in a year.

He said he had gotten permission from the Penang Municipal Council to paint on the wall as the premises inside belonged to the council which uses it as a recycling centre.

He said the project has been dubbed the ‘Great Wall in Penang’.

“This project is done voluntarily. We have help from friends and art students. It is a place for us to paint and relax.

“The wall here used to be dirty, cracked and bare. We fixed it up, painted it all white and now there will be paintings of Penang for all to see.

“I am from Butterworth and I will come to paint here during weekdays. When the paintings are all done, we will add 3D features to all of them,” Oo said on Thursday.

Equator Academy of Art student Seow Kar Liang, 20, who was painting part of the mural, said he wanted to help out as art was his passion.

“It is also a project which makes Penang art alive,” he said, adding that he got to know of the project through friends.

The first three paintings which are expected to be finished in two weeks depict activities at the Goddess of Mercy Temple in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. Work on the other paintings are in progress.

Besides the murals in Magazine Road, Oo also has mural and 3D art projects at the Penang Botanic Gardens, Armenian Street and a narrow back lane between Bank Negara Malaysia and the AIA building in Bishop Street.

The 3D feature at the gardens is that of a cobra while at Armenian Street, it is an image of the head of the lion used in the Chinese lion dance. The one at the back lane is an image of Tan Tong Tong, a minstrel who was popular in the past. Oo said only the lion head mural was still incomplete.

Other murals which have been painted in the city included those by Lithuanian street artist Ernest Zacharevic, 26, and local artist Louis Gan Yee Loong, 25, from Balik Pulau.

Three artists are also currently creating twelve 3D street art murals in the city in conjunction with the George Town Festival 2013 which will be held from June 7 to July 7. Cats are the main subject matter of the 3D paintings which the artists hope will inspire the public to stop animal cruelty.

~News courtesy of The Star~