Tracking Dr Sun’s footsteps
THE mapping out of the Dr Sun Yat-sen heritage trail in Penang is set to become a reality after more than 10 years.
Among the historic buildings along the trail are the Penang Philomatic Union’s second premises (120, Armenian Street), Penang Philomatic Union (94, Jalan Datuk Keramat) and Penang Philomatic Union’s fourth premises/Xiao Lan Ting (65, Macalister Road).
Regarded as the Father of Modern China, Dr Sun made Penang his base where he sowed the seeds of the Canton Uprising in Guangzhou in 1911.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) president Khoo Salma Nasution said the trail was proposed in the late 1990s but no one pushed for it due to lack of funds and verification for research findings.
She said the buildings identified along the trail were important places where Dr Sun had lived, held meetings and given talks while in Penang.
“He came to Penang to source for fundings and to recruit members for his movement. He was planning a revolution in China right here in Penang,” she said in an interview.
PHT had received a RM100,000 grant from the George Town Grants Programme for documentation purposes.
Started last December, the two-year programme is part of a RM20mil seed-funding initiative by Think City Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Federal Government’s investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd, for urban rejuvenation projects within the George Town World Heritage Site.
Khoo said the funds would be used to put up signboards at the buildings which would provide a background of the place and its connections with the Chinese revolutionary leader.
Khoo said the trail would also highlight how the people of Penang contributed to Dr Sun’s movement.
“He inspired people through his ideas and developed the Three Principles of the People which are nationalism (people’s rights), democracy (people’s voice), and socialism (people’s livelihood).
“When his movement overthrew the Manchu government, he became the first provisional president of China, which was also the first republic in Asia. He banned old practices like the wearing of pigtails and foot binding,” she said.
Khoo described the heritage trail as a way to educate the public.
“It is enriched by the past, as it is another layer of awareness of our history,” she said.
She hoped the attention brought upon the trail would lead to renovations of some of the buildings that were in dilapidated conditions.
Project coordinator Ho Sheau Fung said a group of researchers and local historians had only come out with the first draft of the trail.
“The next step is to concretise the trail and continue to verify the collected data. We also need to determine the sequence of the sites in the trail, based on historical facts.
“More sites will be identified after this and research is ongoing for the sites where Dr Sun had actually been to. We are also including places that are not directly related to him but associated with his followers,” she said.
The trail will be launched at the centenary celebrations in November to mark the 100th anniversary of the Penang Conference on Nov 13, 1910, where Dr Sun planned an uprising of a larger scale in Guangzhou.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Friday, 10 September 2010
A treat by the seaside
A treat by the seaside
THE halal-certified Oriental Seafood in Gurney Drive, Penang, has indeed withstood the test of time having been around for over two decades pleasing taste buds all over the world with its signature seafood interpretations.
This ‘floating’ restaurant is popular not only for its extensive seafood and Chinese dishes but also for its seafront dining under the stars.
Lining one side of the premises are tanks filled with all kinds of live seafood which are an attraction in itself.
The lunch menu features dishes which are fast, good and value for money. Choices include nasi lemak (RM5.50), tomyam maggi mee (RM4.50), fried hor fun with fish meat (RM12 for two persons) and buttered mantis shrimp with mixed vegetable rice (RM6.50).
More varieties in the form of homemade Hailam choon pneah (spring roll), which is a delight with every mouthful, aromatic curry fish head and yummy mee udang are also available.
Dinner is a sumptuous affair with dishes such as grilled mutton, deep fried salted mantis shrimp, sang yue soup (steamboat style), kam heong crab, loong tan (potato grouper) cooked in two styles and crispy deep fried soft shell crab.
The mutton is nicely done minus the usual gamey smell while the sang yue served with beehoon, vegetables and bean curd is a pot full of oceanic sweetness.
Best complemented with cold beer, the mantis shrimp is fragrant and tasty. The grouper with its luscious and succulent meat is delicately sweet and simply delicious.
Besides its innovative interpretation of dishes, there is no compromise in the ingredients used and the seafood are caught daily by local fishermen. Thus, it is no wonder that the restaurant is so popular especially at dinner time.
In fact, Oriental Seafood with its strategic location in Gurney Drive is almost a landmark of Penang. Mention seafood and the outlet will immediately come to mind.
It also caters to tourists by the busloads and this has given rise to the wrong impression that the food here is overpriced. The management would like to state that they only charge RM10 per person for student groups and RM13 for tourist groups for six dishes and a soup.
The restaurant has six VIP rooms equipped with karaoke systems and is able to host functions and weddings. Diners are also assured of warm and friendly service.
Business hours are from 11am to 11.30pm daily. For reservations, call 04-8904500.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
THE halal-certified Oriental Seafood in Gurney Drive, Penang, has indeed withstood the test of time having been around for over two decades pleasing taste buds all over the world with its signature seafood interpretations.
This ‘floating’ restaurant is popular not only for its extensive seafood and Chinese dishes but also for its seafront dining under the stars.
Lining one side of the premises are tanks filled with all kinds of live seafood which are an attraction in itself.
The lunch menu features dishes which are fast, good and value for money. Choices include nasi lemak (RM5.50), tomyam maggi mee (RM4.50), fried hor fun with fish meat (RM12 for two persons) and buttered mantis shrimp with mixed vegetable rice (RM6.50).
More varieties in the form of homemade Hailam choon pneah (spring roll), which is a delight with every mouthful, aromatic curry fish head and yummy mee udang are also available.
Dinner is a sumptuous affair with dishes such as grilled mutton, deep fried salted mantis shrimp, sang yue soup (steamboat style), kam heong crab, loong tan (potato grouper) cooked in two styles and crispy deep fried soft shell crab.
The mutton is nicely done minus the usual gamey smell while the sang yue served with beehoon, vegetables and bean curd is a pot full of oceanic sweetness.
Best complemented with cold beer, the mantis shrimp is fragrant and tasty. The grouper with its luscious and succulent meat is delicately sweet and simply delicious.
Besides its innovative interpretation of dishes, there is no compromise in the ingredients used and the seafood are caught daily by local fishermen. Thus, it is no wonder that the restaurant is so popular especially at dinner time.
In fact, Oriental Seafood with its strategic location in Gurney Drive is almost a landmark of Penang. Mention seafood and the outlet will immediately come to mind.
It also caters to tourists by the busloads and this has given rise to the wrong impression that the food here is overpriced. The management would like to state that they only charge RM10 per person for student groups and RM13 for tourist groups for six dishes and a soup.
The restaurant has six VIP rooms equipped with karaoke systems and is able to host functions and weddings. Diners are also assured of warm and friendly service.
Business hours are from 11am to 11.30pm daily. For reservations, call 04-8904500.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
Sunday, 15 August 2010
United to draw medical tourists
United to draw medical tourists
SEVEN of Penang’s biggest private hospitals have banded together to establish the Penang Health Association — a platform to collectively promote the state as a medical haven for visitors.
In a launching ceremony at the beginning of the month, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Island Hospital, LohGuanLye Specialist Centre, Mount Miriam Hospital, Pantai Hospital Penang and Penang Adventist Hospital partnered to boost the image of Penang health care.
“The idea for this partnership between hospitals came about four years ago.
“We realised that if we continued to only promote ourselves separately, it would be counter-productive and confuse visitors seeking medical care,” said association chairman Datuk Dr Chan Kok Ewe.
“For the sake of the medical industry in Penang, we have to work together.”
Dr Chan explained that the partnership of the seven hospitals made it possible to attract patients to a single destination – Penang – rather than to individual hospitals.
“With a common folder and a universal exhibition booth giving the information and services of all the hospitals, patients will have their own choice of treatment possibilities,” he said.
He added that although the partnership had only been announced to the public this month, its collective efforts over the last few years were already beginning to bear fruit.
“In 2009, Penang attracted 202,000 foreign visitors despite the global recession.
“2010 has also seen a marked increase with the figure expected to reach 250,000 and with this partnership, we expect these figures to continue to grow,” Dr Chan said.
-News courtesy of The Star-
SEVEN of Penang’s biggest private hospitals have banded together to establish the Penang Health Association — a platform to collectively promote the state as a medical haven for visitors.
In a launching ceremony at the beginning of the month, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Island Hospital, LohGuanLye Specialist Centre, Mount Miriam Hospital, Pantai Hospital Penang and Penang Adventist Hospital partnered to boost the image of Penang health care.
“The idea for this partnership between hospitals came about four years ago.
“We realised that if we continued to only promote ourselves separately, it would be counter-productive and confuse visitors seeking medical care,” said association chairman Datuk Dr Chan Kok Ewe.
“For the sake of the medical industry in Penang, we have to work together.”
Dr Chan explained that the partnership of the seven hospitals made it possible to attract patients to a single destination – Penang – rather than to individual hospitals.
“With a common folder and a universal exhibition booth giving the information and services of all the hospitals, patients will have their own choice of treatment possibilities,” he said.
He added that although the partnership had only been announced to the public this month, its collective efforts over the last few years were already beginning to bear fruit.
“In 2009, Penang attracted 202,000 foreign visitors despite the global recession.
“2010 has also seen a marked increase with the figure expected to reach 250,000 and with this partnership, we expect these figures to continue to grow,” Dr Chan said.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Choir from Hong Kong coming to town
Choir from Hong Kong coming to town
THE 30-member Hong Kong Munsang College Alumni Chorus will present a charity concert to raise funds for the Penang Hospice Society and Musica Sinfonietta.
Organised by the Malaysian Institute of Training and Development (MITD), the event themed ‘Music For Life’ will be held at 7.30pm at the Penang Chinese Town Hall on Sept 4.
Organising chairman Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon said the choir under Sincere Yip, a prominent choral director and music edu-cator, would perform popular pieces such as ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Sway’, ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ as well as two Russian folk songs.
He said the choir members had chosen to visit Penang for their annual trip abroad as they were invited by MITD chairman, Datuk Dr Thomas Chee.
The audience will be treated to a touch of Malaysian flavour by local choir ‘Mayson Musical Choir’ which will showcase Chinese and Malay folk songs.
Musica Sinfonietta’s violinist Verena Koay will also perform in a solo of Vivaldi’s classic piece, ‘Spring’ from The Four Seasons violin concerto while the orchestra will entertain the audience with pieces by American composer Leroy Anderson and songs from the movie ‘Mamma Mia’.
Admission is by invitation only at RM20 for students and RM50 for adults.
For details, call Lily Boey at 012-4749020, Digital Music School at 04-2263340/ 6582366/8992108, Penang Chinese Town Hall at 2611342 or Joan Khoo (MITD) at 2620028.
Donations are also appreciated.
-News courtesy of The Star-
THE 30-member Hong Kong Munsang College Alumni Chorus will present a charity concert to raise funds for the Penang Hospice Society and Musica Sinfonietta.
Organised by the Malaysian Institute of Training and Development (MITD), the event themed ‘Music For Life’ will be held at 7.30pm at the Penang Chinese Town Hall on Sept 4.
Organising chairman Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon said the choir under Sincere Yip, a prominent choral director and music edu-cator, would perform popular pieces such as ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Sway’, ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ as well as two Russian folk songs.
He said the choir members had chosen to visit Penang for their annual trip abroad as they were invited by MITD chairman, Datuk Dr Thomas Chee.
The audience will be treated to a touch of Malaysian flavour by local choir ‘Mayson Musical Choir’ which will showcase Chinese and Malay folk songs.
Musica Sinfonietta’s violinist Verena Koay will also perform in a solo of Vivaldi’s classic piece, ‘Spring’ from The Four Seasons violin concerto while the orchestra will entertain the audience with pieces by American composer Leroy Anderson and songs from the movie ‘Mamma Mia’.
Admission is by invitation only at RM20 for students and RM50 for adults.
For details, call Lily Boey at 012-4749020, Digital Music School at 04-2263340/ 6582366/8992108, Penang Chinese Town Hall at 2611342 or Joan Khoo (MITD) at 2620028.
Donations are also appreciated.
-News courtesy of The Star-
All things Thai at Fort Cornwallis
All things Thai at Fort Cornwallis
FORT Cornwallis in Penang boasts of a rich historical legacy but this weekend, it will celebrate a first by playing host to a Thai food and culture festival.
The Thai Food, Fruits and Cultural Festival will be held at the fort from 10am to 11pm today and tomorrow.
It is jointly organised by the Penang Govern-ment and Thai Consulate-General of Penang.
Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law said visitors to the fair would be able to sample Thai cul-ture through their dances, martial arts and food.
“The public will get the opportunity to experience authentic culinary traditions and cuisines of Thailand.
“On top of that, a few entertaining perfor- mances of Thailand’s delicate and graceful traditional dances as well as its well-known kick-boxing national sport — Muay Thai — will be showcased,” Law told press conference on Thursday.
He said visitors and tourists should try their best to be present for the festival’s opening ceremony at 6.30pm today as there would be a Klong Yao (long Thai Style drum made of hardwood) performance and Thai cul- tural dances.
He said there would also be traditional massages offered at stalls. Admission to the festival is free.
-News courtesy of The Star-
FORT Cornwallis in Penang boasts of a rich historical legacy but this weekend, it will celebrate a first by playing host to a Thai food and culture festival.
The Thai Food, Fruits and Cultural Festival will be held at the fort from 10am to 11pm today and tomorrow.
It is jointly organised by the Penang Govern-ment and Thai Consulate-General of Penang.
Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law said visitors to the fair would be able to sample Thai cul-ture through their dances, martial arts and food.
“The public will get the opportunity to experience authentic culinary traditions and cuisines of Thailand.
“On top of that, a few entertaining perfor- mances of Thailand’s delicate and graceful traditional dances as well as its well-known kick-boxing national sport — Muay Thai — will be showcased,” Law told press conference on Thursday.
He said visitors and tourists should try their best to be present for the festival’s opening ceremony at 6.30pm today as there would be a Klong Yao (long Thai Style drum made of hardwood) performance and Thai cul- tural dances.
He said there would also be traditional massages offered at stalls. Admission to the festival is free.
-News courtesy of The Star-
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Kway Teow Soup
Kway Teow Soup
Kedai Kopi Soon Yuen
25 & 26, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, George Town.
Open 7am to noon. Closed on Wednesdays.
THE MSG-free kway teow soup here is very wholesome, tinged with the flavours of the siew pak choy that comes with it. The soup – made from pork, chicken and duck bones – is light with a natural sweetness.
The soup and the freshly-made fish balls make up for the not-so-slippery-smooth kway teow. The sai toh (wolf herring) fish balls do not contain preservatives; they are made fresh early every morning before Tan Kee Tin opens the shop for the day. A normal bowl comes with shredded chicken, fish balls and vegetables, but Tan also offers offal and duck and chicken intestines.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
Kedai Kopi Soon Yuen
25 & 26, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, George Town.
Open 7am to noon. Closed on Wednesdays.
THE MSG-free kway teow soup here is very wholesome, tinged with the flavours of the siew pak choy that comes with it. The soup – made from pork, chicken and duck bones – is light with a natural sweetness.
The soup and the freshly-made fish balls make up for the not-so-slippery-smooth kway teow. The sai toh (wolf herring) fish balls do not contain preservatives; they are made fresh early every morning before Tan Kee Tin opens the shop for the day. A normal bowl comes with shredded chicken, fish balls and vegetables, but Tan also offers offal and duck and chicken intestines.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
Curry Mee
Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee
55 Lorong Seratus Tahun, George Town.
Open 7.30am to 2pm. Closed on Thursdays but open on all public holidays.
THE 31-year-old family business is now run by the Moey sons, Kok Pheng, Kok Keong and Kok Kong. There is another outlet at 72-H, Jalan Anson (it’s open from 9am to 5.30pm and closed on Thursdays). A bowl of curry noodles here comes in a pale and watery stock with just a hint of coconut milk, unlike the thick, coconut milk-enriched curry stock elsewhere.
It is served with their special chilli paste, a secret concoction of ground dried chillies fried in oil, which is what gives the noodles their aromas and spicy flavours. This version of curry noodles has become so famous in Penang that it has come to be regarded as Penang’s very own curry mee, with toppings of blood cockles, cubes of pig’s blood jelly, cuttlefish, prawns and tofu puffs.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
55 Lorong Seratus Tahun, George Town.
Open 7.30am to 2pm. Closed on Thursdays but open on all public holidays.
THE 31-year-old family business is now run by the Moey sons, Kok Pheng, Kok Keong and Kok Kong. There is another outlet at 72-H, Jalan Anson (it’s open from 9am to 5.30pm and closed on Thursdays). A bowl of curry noodles here comes in a pale and watery stock with just a hint of coconut milk, unlike the thick, coconut milk-enriched curry stock elsewhere.
It is served with their special chilli paste, a secret concoction of ground dried chillies fried in oil, which is what gives the noodles their aromas and spicy flavours. This version of curry noodles has become so famous in Penang that it has come to be regarded as Penang’s very own curry mee, with toppings of blood cockles, cubes of pig’s blood jelly, cuttlefish, prawns and tofu puffs.
-Info courtesy of The Star-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)