Penangite Chinese

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Penangite Chinese
槟城华人/檳城華人 (
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]

Most Chinese Penangites are the descendants of Chinese colonists, traders, accountants, merchants, labourers and immigrants from southern

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.
A Chinese theater in Penang in 1897.
Chinese school girls in a lantern procession in Penang in 1937.

Chinese sailors had explored the seas off

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

China throughout the 19th century, effectively made the Chinese the largest ethnic group in Penang by the 1850s.[12]

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.

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

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
Area Percentage (%) 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

See also: Penang Hokkien
A Chinese businesswoman checking her delivery of Chinese lanterns in George Town.

According to the

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 group Percentage (%)
Hokkien 63.9
Teochew
 17.8
Cantonese 8.3
Hakka 5.2
Hainanese 1.5
Others 3.2
Total 100.0
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

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.
Main article: Penang cuisine

Along with other races, the Chinese have greatly influenced Penang's street

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

Chingay procession in George Town
Chinese lanterns in Little India, George Town, ushering in the Chinese New Year.

Some of the major Chinese cultural celebrations in Penang include the

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

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]

St. Anne's Church in Bukit Mertajam
.

Chingay performance

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.

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.
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.

The list includes Penangites of partial Chinese descent.

See also

References

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  2. ^
    ISBN 9789672537069
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  3. ^ "Current Population Estimates 2017". Malaysian Department of Statistics: 55. 14 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Penang – not so Chinese after all". Free Malaysia Today. 2011-06-10. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  5. ^ Singapore, National Library Board. "Peranakan (Straits Chinese) community | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  6. ^ Koh Aun Qi (9 September 2017). "Penang Hokkien and its struggle for survival".
  7. ^ "The process and effects of demographic transition in Penang, Malaysia". January 2013.
  8. ISBN 9789834291211
    .
  9. ^ "Tanjung Tokong | Property For Sale In Penang Island - The Edge Property Malaysia". news.theedgeproperty.com.my. Retrieved 2017-05-16.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "A peek into Hakka heritage - Community | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  11. ^ "A Straits-born people and language | Unravel Magazine". Unravel. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  12. University of Science, Malaysia. pp. 42, 45 6, 9/28. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  13. ^ Netto, Anil (6 October 2013). "Old Penang: The Sook Ching massacres of World War II - anilnetto.com". anilnetto.com. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Key summary statistics for Local Authority areas, Malaysia, 2010" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  15. ^ "Latar Belakang". dbd.penang.gov.my (in Malay). Archived from the original on 2017-06-25. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  16. ^ "Penang's mainland – Seberang Perai by the numbers". Penang’s mainland – Seberang Perai by the numbers. Archived from the original on 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
  17. ^ a b "Dialects and Languages in Numbers". Dialects and Languages in Numbers. Archived from the original on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  18. ^ a b "Disparate Identities: Penang from a Historical Perspective, 1780–1941" (PDF). Universiti Sains Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-07.
  19. ^ "Mind your Hokkien - Community | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Penang Hokkien will be 'dead' in 40 years if people stop using it, says language expert". 2 August 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
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  22. ^ "Translating Penang Hokkien to English with ease | theSundaily". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  23. ^ Loh, Arnold. "Shooting to begin for first Penang Hokkien film - Nation | The Star Online". Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Penang, the next metropolis?" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-13.
  25. ^ "50 best foods in the world | CNN Travel". Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  26. ^ "Hokkien New Year (Thni Kong Seh)". www.visitpenang.gov.my. Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  27. ^ "Chinese New Year in Penang is a Long, Long Party". About.com Travel. Archived from the original on 2016-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  28. ^ II, Administrator. "Wesak Day Celebration 2015". www.visitpenang.gov.my. Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  29. ^ Singapore, National Library Board. "Chingay | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  30. ^ "myPenang". mypenang.gov.my. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  31. ^ "A memorable experience for visiting French couple - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  32. ^ "Parade of stunning stunts - Metro News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  33. ^ "Private schooling getting popular". Penang Monthly. 2016-01-06. Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
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