Penangite Chinese

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Penangite Chinese
槟城华人/檳城華人(Chinese)
Kaum Cina Pulau Pinang(Malay)
Wonton Miee Stall, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.JPG
A Chinese wantan mee hawker stall in George Town.
Total population
718,362
41.3% of Penang's population in 2020 [1] (census)
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg  Penang
Seal of George Town.svg George Town : City centre, Balik Pulau, Ayer Itam, Tanjong Bungah, Jelutong, Paya Terubong, Tanjong Tokong [2]
Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP - Majlis Bandaraya Seberang Perai) Logo.png Seberang Perai : Bukit Mertajam, Nibong Tebal, Butterworth, Simpang Ampat [2]
Languages
Penang Hokkien and Malaysian Mandarin (lingua franca)
Malaysian, Kedah Malay, English, Manglish
Other dialects: Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka
Religion
Predominantly Buddhism and/or Taoism, with a significant number of Christians.
Minority: Islam, Atheism
Related ethnic groups
Chinese diaspora, Peranakan, Chindian

Penangite Chinese are ethnic Chinese Malaysians of full or partial Chinese ancestry who either hail from or live within the State of Penang. As of 2020, 45% of Penang's population belonged to the Chinese ethnic group, making ethnic Chinese the largest ethnic community within the state. [3] [4]

Contents

Most Chinese Penangites are the descendants of Chinese colonists, traders, accountants, merchants, labourers and immigrants from southern China who moved to the Penang between the 18th and 20th centuries. By the mid-19th century, George Town, the capital city of Penang, was home to a significant Peranakan community, also known as the King's Chinese due to their loyalty to the British crown. [5] Under British colonial rule, Penang continued to experience increasing Chinese immigration throughout the 19th century. As the largest group of Penangite Chinese are ethnic Hokkiens (38% of the Chinese penangite population in 1957) [6] [7] who came from southern Fujian Province, home to the Hokkien language, Penang Hokkien was gradually developed and is now widely used by Penangites for daily communication.

Penang's Chinese have been well-represented within Malaysia and also internationally in various professional, political, economic and other fields. To date, Penang is the only state in Malaysia where the position of the Chief Minister, who leads the state government, has been continuously held by an ethnic Chinese since independence. Renowned figures, including Jimmy Choo and Nicol David, hailed from Penang and have contributed greatly in raising the country's profile internationally.

Penangite Chinese typically refer to themselves as Tn̂g-lâng in Penang Hokkien. [8] In English parlance within Penang, Penangite Chinese are simply referred to as "Chinese".

History

Chinese merchants and carriages outside their club house on Penang Island, 1881. Malaysia; Chinese merchants and carriages outside their club Wellcome V0037511.jpg
Chinese merchants and carriages outside their club house on Penang Island, 1881.
A Chinese theater in Penang in 1897. CO 1069-489-59 (7888043010).jpg
A Chinese theater in Penang in 1897.
Chinese school girls in a lantern procession in Penang in 1937. CO 1069-502-079 (7893036802).jpg
Chinese school girls in a lantern procession in Penang in 1937.

Chinese sailors had explored the seas off Penang Island as early as the 15th century. During the Ming Dynasty, Chinese seafarers led by Admiral Zheng He sailed the length of the Malacca Straits; Penang Island may have appeared in the Nautical Charts of Zheng He .

However, it was only sometime in the 18th century when the Chinese began to arrive on Penang Island. It was recorded that the fishing village of Tanjung Tokong on the northern coast of the island was founded by Zhang Li, a sailor whose arrival on Penang Island preceded that of Captain Francis Light by at least a few decades. [9] [10]

After the British East India Company under Captain Francis Light founded George Town in 1786, ethnic Chinese began to move to Penang in increasing numbers. In particular, the Peranakans, who already had established themselves along the western coast of the Malay Peninsula, shifted to Penang. [11] This, coupled with the greater number of newer immigrants from China throughout the 19th century, effectively made the Chinese the largest ethnic group in Penang by the 1850s. [12]

Chinese New Year decorations at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang. Ke Lok Si Illuminations 01.JPG
Chinese New Year decorations at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang.

As Penang grew into a major entrepôt towards the end of the 19th century, the influx of various cultures and religions would create a melting pot where the multi-ethnic and multi-religious society could exist in harmony. Similarly, over time, the newer Chinese arrivals became acculturated to the existing local culture and customs due to intermarriages between the Peranakans and the "Sinkeh". At the turn of the century, the Chinese nationalist Sun Yat-sen's campaigns to liberate China from imperial Manchu rule attracted considerable financial support from Penang's Chinese population.

During World War II, ethnic Chinese in Penang suffered brutal and often violent treatment in the hands of the occupying Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese implemented a policy known as Sook Ching , a systematic purge of perceived hostile elements, including the Chinese. Hundreds of ethnic Chinese as well as 3,500 other non-Chinese POWs were massacred and buried in unmarked mass graves throughout Penang during the Japanese occupation period. [13]

Demographics

Chinese devotees at Kek Lok Si Temple. Penang - Part 2 - Temples (25431097121).jpg
Chinese devotees at Kek Lok Si Temple.

Out of the nearly 720,000 Penangite Chinese, most are concentrated on Penang Island, particularly within and around the city of George Town.

Ethnic Chinese constitute the plurality of Penang Island's population; the 2020 Malaysian Census indicated that about 56% of Penang Island's inhabitants were of Chinese descent. [14] On the island, more Chinese reside within the Northeastern District, where George Town is situated, compared to the less-populated Southwestern District. [15]

The Chinese also accounted for 35.7% of the population in Seberang Perai, the mainland halve of the State of Penang. [14] They most commonly reside within the Central and Southern districts, forming a visible majority in the towns within these districts, such as Bukit Mertajam, Batu Kawan and Nibong Tebal. [16]

Percentages of Chinese populations in Penang Island and Seberang Perai
AreaPercentage (%)Largest concentrations
Penang Island 56.0 Northeast Penang Island District (George Town)
Seberang Perai 35.7 Central Seberang Perai District (Bukit Mertajam)
South Seberang Perai District (Nibong Tebal, Batu Kawan)

Language

A Chinese businesswoman checking her delivery of Chinese lanterns in George Town. Penang Malaysia Chinese-woman-checking-a-delivery-of-chinese-lanterns-02.jpg
A Chinese businesswoman checking her delivery of Chinese lanterns in George Town.

According to the 2010 Malaysian Census, up to 63.9% of Penang's Sinitic population spoke Hokkien as their mother tongue. [17] This figure likely included those with Peranakan ancestry. The second largest Sinitic linguistic group in Penang was the Teochews, constituting 17.8% of Penang's Sinitic community, followed by the Cantonese at 8.3%. There were also smaller Hakka and Hainanese communities throughout Penang. [17] [18]

Language groupPercentage (%)
Hokkien 63.9
Teochew 17.8
Cantonese 8.3
Hakka 5.2
Hainanese 1.5
Others3.2
Total100.0
A Chinese trishaw rider with an American passenger in George Town in 1967. PenangPedicab67.jpg
A Chinese trishaw rider with an American passenger in George Town in 1967.

The resulting ubiquitous use of Hokkien has made Penang Hokkien the lingua franca among Penangites. Penang Hokkien, which originated from a subdialect of Zhangzhou Hokkien, incorporated several Malay and English terms over the centuries, eventually evolving into a distinct Hokkien dialect used mainly in northern Malaysia. Uniquely for Penang, this localised Hokkien creole is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for daily communication, so much so that even local police officers also take courses in Penang Hokkien. [19] [20] [21] More recently, Penang Hokkien has also been popularised in mass media, particularly through books, dictionaries and movies, due in part to the desire to maintain the language's relevance in the face of increasing influence of Mandarin and English amongst the younger generations. [22] [23] Just like in other states, younger sinitic generation in Penang mostly speaks Mandarin with family and friends now.

Besides Penang Hokkien and Mandarin, the latter of which has been used as a medium of instruction in Chinese primary schools in Penang, Cantonese, Teochew and Hakka are spoken by smaller numbers of Chinese as well. In general, these communities arrived in Penang after the Hokkiens had already established themselves within the colony in the early 19th century. The Cantonese and Hakka communities, in particular, would go on to predominate parts of George Town towards the end of the 19th century, while a significant number of Teochews were also employed in the agricultural industries within the then Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai). [18] To this day, many of the Teochews continue to reside in the towns of Seberang Perai, such as Bukit Mertajam, Sungai Bakap and Nibong Tebal.

In addition, all Penangites are conversant with Malay, the national language of Malaysia, as the language is made compulsory in all schools in Penang. A legacy of British rule is the existence of several English and missionary schools throughout Penang, which also contributes to the relatively high level of English proficiency among Penangites. [24]

Culture

Cuisine

A plate of Penang char kway teow. The dish, one of the more popular street dishes in the state, is available in most hawker stalls all over Penang. Char Kway Teow, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.JPG
A plate of Penang char kway teow . The dish, one of the more popular street dishes in the state, is available in most hawker stalls all over Penang.

Along with other races, the Chinese have greatly influenced Penang's street cuisine, one of the more famous culinary styles in Southeast Asia. Penang is famous for its variants of Chinese dishes, including char kuey teow, Hokkien mee and chee cheong fun. These are in addition to the famous asam laksa , a local variant of the Peranakan fusion dish, which was ranked 7th in CNN's list of the world's 50 best dishes. [25]

Festivals

A member of a Chingay troupe balancing a flag in the streets of George Town. Penang Chingay.jpg
A member of a Chingay troupe balancing a flag in the streets of George Town.
Chinese lanterns in Little India, George Town, ushering in the Chinese New Year. GEORGETOWN PENANG NEAR LITTLE INDIA,WITH CHINESE NEW YEAR DECORATIONS MALAYSIA JAN 2012 (6794334588).jpg
Chinese lanterns in Little India, George Town, ushering in the Chinese New Year.

Some of the major Chinese cultural celebrations in Penang include the Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival, Zhong Yuan Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

The largest of all is the Chinese New Year, which includes a number of festivities and observances which are unique to Penang. For instance, the Jade Emperor's Birthday, also known colloquially as the "Hokkien New Year", falls on the 9th day of Chinese New Year and is widely observed in Penang. [26] Chinese New Year festivities in Penang also include the traditional lighting up of the iconic Kek Lok Si Temple, a 'fire watching' ceremony in the Snake Temple and open houses by several ornate Chinese clan houses within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site. [27]

Wesak Day is celebrated by the Buddhists with a grand procession by Buddhist associations and temples based in Penang since 1949, with floats depicting both Mahayana and Theravada traditions. [28] Most Buddhists and Taoists observe Qing Ming and the Zhong Yuan Festival, both to honour their departed relatives and friends. Taoists also celebrate various Taoist Deities's birthday like Guan Gong's Birthday and Nine Emperor Gods Festival at various temples in Penang. The Christians, meanwhile, observe Christmas and Easter, with the Catholics also observing the Saint Anne's Novena for 10 days at the St. Anne's Church in Bukit Mertajam.

Chingay performance

Lion dance troupes during a Chingay procession in Penang in 1937. CO 1069-502-048 (7893028642) 03.jpg
Lion dance troupes during a Chingay procession in Penang in 1937.

Chingay parades were said to have originated in Penang in the early 20th century, before spreading to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. [29] The Penang variant of the Chingay parade includes a giant flag balancing act on one's forehead.

Since the 1950s, an annual Chingay parade has been held within the city of George Town every December, in a bid to retain this unique cultural practice. [30] [31] [32]

Landmarks

Education

Heng Ee High School, one of the several Chinese high schools in Penang. Bangunan Wawasan Heng Ee.jpg
Heng Ee High School, one of the several Chinese high schools in Penang.

Most Penangite Chinese today either go to a Chinese school, a national school (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, or SMK) or a missionary school. In recent years, international schools, which traditionally cater to Penang's expatriate community, are also increasingly popular among Penangites themselves. [33]

As a result, Penangite Chinese are multilingual, with the ability to converse in Malay, English and either Mandarin or another Chinese dialect (typically the individual's mother tongue). Due to the strong English education system that was established by the British in Penang, many Penangites, especially those who went to missionary schools, are able to maintain at least a reasonable command of English. [24] Mandarin has also been increasingly used by the younger generations, as it is the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout the state.

Chinese schools

George Town served as the nucleus of Malaysia's Chinese education system, when in 1904, Chung Hwa Confucian School was established. It was the first Chinese school to be built in British Malaya, as well as the first to use Mandarin as its medium of instruction.

To this day, Chinese schools in Penang maintain a reputation for academic excellence. The Chinese secondary schools in Penang, both public and private, are as listed below.

List of Penangite Chinese

Jimmy Choo, the world-famous shoe designer. Jimmy.choo.JPG
Jimmy Choo, the world-famous shoe designer.
Nicol David is considered by some as the world's greatest female squash player of all time. Nicol David Hong Kong.jpg
Nicol David is considered by some as the world's greatest female squash player of all time.
Chan Peng Soon won a silver medal as a Malaysian mixed doubles badminton player in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Yonex IFB 2013 - Eightfinal - Chan Peng Soon - Goh Liu Ying -- Chris Langridge - Heather Olver 37.jpg
Chan Peng Soon won a silver medal as a Malaysian mixed doubles badminton player in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The list includes Penangites of partial Chinese descent.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang</span> State in Malaysia

Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. These two halves are physically connected by the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. The state shares borders with Kedah to the north and east, and Perak to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Town, Penang</span> Capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang

George Town is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang and the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's second largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.84 million and the second highest contributor to the country's GDP. The city proper spans an area of 306 km2 (118 sq mi) encompassing Penang Island and surrounding islets, and had a population of 794,313 as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang Hokkien</span> Dialect of Hokkien spoken in parts of Malaysia

Penang Hokkien is a local variant of Hokkien spoken in Penang, Malaysia. It is spoken natively by 63.9% of Penang's Chinese community, and also by some Penangite Indians and Penangite Malays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Chinese</span> Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese ancestry

Chinese Malaysians, also commonly called locally as Malaysian Chinese, are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese ethnicity. They form the second-largest ethnic group, after the Malay majority, and are 22.8% of the Malaysian population. Most of them are descendants of Southern Chinese immigrants who arrived in Malaysia between the early 19th and the mid-20th centuries. Malaysian Chinese form the second largest community of Overseas Chinese in the world, after Thai Chinese. Malaysian Chinese are traditionally dominant in the business sector of the Malaysian economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butterworth, Seberang Perai</span> Town in Malaysia

Butterworth is the city centre of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait. As of 2020, Butterworth had a total population of 80,378 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Singaporeans</span> Ethnic group

Chinese Singaporeans are Singaporeans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Singaporeans constitute 75.9% of the Singaporean citizen population according to the official census, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoklo people</span> Han Chinese subgroup

The Hoklo people are a Han Chinese subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such as Banlam (Minnan) people or more commonly known in Southeast Asian countries as Hokkien people. The Hokkien people are found in significant numbers in mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Myanmar, the United States, Hong Kong, and Macau. The Hokkien people have a distinct culture and architecture, including Hokkien shrines and temples with tilted sharp eaves, high and slanted top roofs, and finely detailed decorative inlays of wood and porcelain. The Hokkien language, which includes the Taiwanese Hokkien dialect, is the mainstream Southern Min, which is partially mutually intelligible to the Teochew language, Hainanese, Luichew, Hailokhong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seberang Perai</span> City in the Malaysian state of Penang

Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east, and Perak to the south. The city spans an area of 748 km2 (289 sq mi) and had a population of 946,092 as of 2020, making it the third largest city in Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukit Mertajam</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai and district capital in Penang, Malaysia

Bukit Mertajam is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. As of 2010, Bukit Mertajam (core) contains a total of 13,097 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nibong Tebal</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia

Nibong Tebal is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the northern bank of the Kerian River within the Southern Seberang Perai District, it is the southernmost populated place of Penang. Nibong Tebal contained a population of 2,045 as of 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perai</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia

Perai is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seberang Jaya</span> Neighbourhood of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia

Seberang Jaya is a township within the city of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the southern bank of the Perai River and east of Perai proper, the area was developed in the 1970s. Since then, Seberang Jaya has evolved into a booming area, with various commercial and retail developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batu Kawan</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia

Batu Kawan is an island and suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is geographically separated from the rest of Seberang Perai by the Jawi and Tengah rivers. As of 2010, Batu Kawan contained a population of 5,537.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Penang</span> History of the Malaysian state of Penang

The State of Penang, one of the most developed and urbanised Malaysian states, is located at the nation's northwest coast along the Malacca Strait. Unlike most Malaysian states, the history of modern Penang was shaped by British colonialism, beginning with the acquisition of Penang Island from the Sultanate of Kedah by the British East India Company in 1786. Developed into a free port, the city state was subsequently governed as part of the Straits Settlements, together with Singapore and Malacca; the state capital, George Town, briefly became the capital of this political entity between 1826 and 1832. By the end of the 19th century, George Town prospered and became one of the major entrepôts in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goddess of Mercy Temple</span>

The Goddess of Mercy Temple, also known as Kuan Im Teng or Kong Hock Keong, is a Mahayana Buddhist temple within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at Pitt Street, it was built in 1728, making it the oldest Buddhist temple in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Penang</span>

The State of Penang in Malaysia, home to the country's third largest city as well as part of Malaysia's second most populous conurbation, has a relatively well-developed transport infrastructure. The city-state is well-connected by land, air and sea; the Penang International Airport is one of Malaysia's busiest, while the Port of Penang is the main harbour and transshipment hub within northern Malaysia. The North–South Expressway, the main highway along western Peninsular Malaysia, runs through Penang, while the two geographically separate halves of the state are now linked by two bridges and a ferry service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Penang Conurbation</span> Metropolitan area in Malaysia

The Greater Penang Conurbation, also known as the George Town Conurbation, is the built-up urban or metropolitan area within and around the Malaysian state of Penang. Encompassing all of Penang, and parts of the neighbouring states of Kedah and Perak, the conurbation was home to over 2.84 million people as of 2020, the second largest in the country after the Klang Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysians of Indian descent in Penang</span> Ethnic community

Penangite Indians, also known as Chulias, are Malaysian Indians that live primarily in the state of Penang, Malaysia. Most are the descendants from those who migrated from India during the British colonisation of Malaya. However, historical sources prove that the ancient Indians arrived in Penang during the Chola dynasty. Penangite Indians forms a large percentage of the state's professional community such as business, law and medicine as well as politics, it can be proven by the appointment of Dr. P. Ramasamy as deputy chief minister of Penang. It made him the first Malaysian of Indian origin to hold the post of deputy chief minister in any state of Malaysia. In addition, first Tamil Vernacular School in Malaysia was established in Penang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinang Peranakan Mansion</span> Historic house museum in Penang, Malaysia

The Pinang Peranakan Mansion in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is a museum dedicated to Penang's Peranakan heritage. The museum itself is housed within a distinctive green-hued mansion at Church Street, George Town, which once served as the residence and office of a 19th-century Chinese tycoon, Chung Keng Quee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of George Town, Penang</span> Background of the city of George Town, Penang

George Town, the capital city of the State of Penang, is the second largest city in Malaysia and the economic centre of the country's northern region. The history of George Town began with its establishment by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company in 1786. Founded as a free port, George Town became the first British settlement in Southeast Asia and prospered in the 19th century as one of the vital British entrepôts within the region. It briefly became the capital of the Straits Settlements, a British crown colony which also consisted of Singapore and Malacca.

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