page_title: Penangite Chinese
section_title: Festivals
hierarchical_section_title: Penangite Chinese / Culture / Festivals
caption_attribution_description: GEORGETOWN PENANG NEAR LITTLE INDIA,WITH CHINESE NEW YEAR DECORATIONS MALAYSIA JAN 2012
context_page_description: 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 2017, nearly 42% of Penang's population belonged to the Chinese ethnic group, making ethnic Chinese the largest ethnic community within the state.
  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. 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 who came from southern Fujian Province, home to the Hokkien dialect, 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.
context_section_description: 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. 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.
  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. 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.
caption: Chinese lanterns in Little India, George Town, ushering in the Chinese New Year.
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