The roads of laid-back Esplanade transforms into a highly exciting street race track during this adrenaline-pumping go-kart race. Watch and experience the thrill as these local and international pro-racers zoom through the streets at neck-breaking speeds in a bid to outrace one another to be the king of the road.

Celebrate your style and uniqueness at Gurney Plaza this March as this is the right time where you can express yourself and stand out from the rest at the GP Motorshow cum GP Sales 2011. The mall will be featuring several exciting competitions and activities.  So, get ready and show up for a major do at Gurney Plaza.

 The mall will be kicking off with the Moto GP Girl Competition that will be held on 05 March, 2pm at Gurney Plaza Main Atrium. It is a call for all the ladies aged 18 and above to come over to the Customer Service Counter, 1st Floor to submit two recent 5R size color photos. The 20 finalists will be required to parade in their most sexy yet elegant clothing.

 Hurry up, limited for 20 contestants only!

The winner of Ms Moto GP Girl will walk away with CLIO Cosmetic worth RM 800, LB Unique cash voucher worth RM 150 and The Chicken Rice Shop cash voucher worth RM 50.

This is Straits Quay’s must-visit destination because the rich history and tradition of pewter of Royal Selangor is entwined with the history of modern Malaya (pre-Independence Malaysia).

Designed with interactive exhibits, the Centre takes you back to 1885 when Royal Selangor was founded by Yong Koon, a pewtersmith from Shantou, China.

Among the highlights of the Visitor Centre are pewter crafting demo and the School of Hard Knocks workshop where participants learn how to make their own pewter ware, using traditional tools similar to those used by early pewtersmiths. They get to keep the crafted item and will also be awarded a certificate for their masterpiece.

March 5th & 6th 2011 is set to make a mark in Penang with the PSC-Carlsberg International Soccer 7′s series organized by the Penang Sports Club for the 12th edition.

The tournament will kick off on 5th March 2011 and will see 44 teams from local, regional and international from as far as People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Australia, Hongkong, Europe, Indonesia, Maldives, Brunei and Singapore.

This tournament has become a successful platform for veterans’ footballers to converge in Penang and to bring the best of football closer to fans around the world.

This celebration is to showcase the richness of the living heritage in Penang, in line with Penang status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There will be treasure hunt and Chinese New Year cooking demonstrations and lots of wonderful and interesting events during the night.

Seven thematic little “towns”, highlighting different cultural aspects related to Hokkien, Canton, Teochew, Hainan, Hakka, Wushu and Malaysian cultures will also be featured.

Download full itinerary.

The folk tale has it that the Hokkiens escaped mistreatment by ruthless army in ancient China by seeking refuge in a sugarcane plantation. They emerged unharmed on the 8th day of Chinese New Year. The birthday of the Jade Emperor. Hence the New Year of Hokkiens.

Hokkien New Year is celebrated widely in Penang. The Hokkien community in Chew Jetty is celebrating this year’s Thni Kong Seh in a grand scale. Over 30 long tables of food and fruits, big bottles of cognac and trays, baskets, and sugarcane stalks.

Built since 1850, the newly renovated Snake Temple will hold it’s yearly prayer on the 5th day of Chinese New Year.

The “Fire Watching” is a traditional ceremony to predict the economy outlook of Penang.

For the whole day, the devotees will visit the temple to pray to “Chor Sor Kong”. Legend has it that Chor Sor Kong was a healer who gave shelter to the snakes of jungle. After the completion of the temple, snakes appeared on their own accord.

Believers from as far away as Singapore and Taiwan come to pray in the temple on this sixth day of the Chinese New Year.

As the Year of the Rabbit is about to begin, it is once again the season for several thousands of chinese to return home to Penang to reunite with family and friends in celebration of the coming of a new year.

The Chinese New Year Celebration is no longer a celebration for only the Chinese Community where family members reunite and spread joy and love. In fact, it is a celebration for all Malaysians. It is during times like this, we take the opportunity to rekindle our friendship with friends and neighbours regardless of race and creed. This kind of closeness which we share during Hari Raya, Deepavali and even Christmas, creates a kind of community togetherness necessary in good and in bad times.

Our multi-ethnic community is a reason for us to rejoice and proudly usher in the New Year with renewed hope for a great year ahead. Among many of our key focus to make year 2011 even better then last year would be to continously highlight the beauty of the cultures in Penang. More cultural performances such as the lion dance and chingay performance would take centre stage in the list of events in Penang this year.

So, do join in with this Chinese New Year celebration to experience our multi-ethnic culture, and to rejoice and proudly usher in the New Year with much joy, excitement and renewed hope for a great year ahead.

Voted as no. 4 “Must visit places in Penang” by VisitPenang website readers, this 119 years old Temple of Supreme Bliss is the focal point of Chinese New Year fesival for the Chinese community in Penang.

During the Chinese New Year celebration, thousands of devotees turned up for the annual lighting ceremony at Kek Lok Si Temple in Air Itam.
Starting from Chinese New Year, Kek Lok Si Temple will be light up every night at 7pm until midnight to symbolize peace, luck and prosperity.

Approximately 230,000 light bulbs and 10,000 lanterns light up the temple every night for 33 days in conjunction with Chinese New Year. Making this 120 year old temple one of Asia’s most beautiful temple.

The Kek Lok Si Temple (Penang Hokkien for “Temple of Supreme Bliss”) is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang and is one of the best known temples on the island.

The temple is a focal point of festivals of the Chinese community in Penang. The Chinese New Year celebrations are particularly impressive: for 33 days following Chinese New Year, the temple remains open until late at night whilst thousands of lights turn the scenery into a sea of light.

Thaipusam Penang

Organizer: Penang Hindu Endowments Board
Contact: 04-6505136
Venue: Murugan Temple, Waterfall

This Hindu festival is usually celebrated in January or February, during the full moon of the 10th month in the Hindu calendar.

A pilgrimage procession takes place to bring the statue of Lord Muruga, who represents virtue, youth and power, on a silver chariot led by more then 60 Kavadis adorned with peacock feathers from Little India to the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple atop the hill of Waterfall Road.

On the day before (29th Jan 2010), old coconuts are smashed along the roads where the Chariot procession will pass for its spiritual journey.

During Thaipusam in Penang (30th Jan 2010), devotees go through a physical endurance of being skewered and pierced on the back and front of their bodies by hooks with miniature urns as an act of penance.

Majority of the devotees who go through this act are Indians but Chinese, Sikh and other visitors can also be seen taking part in this act of faith which leaves many devotees and observers alike, spiritually transformed.

In celebration, more than 100 beautifully-decorated make-shift stalls, are erected along Waterfall Road road where charitable Chinese and Indian families give out bottled water, fruits, sweet, buns and prepared sweetened and sour rice to devotees. Thunderous loud music, singing, dancing and the beating of drums of devotional songs by their supporters can be seen and heard far and wide throughout the entire vicinity of the festival.

Upon reaching the temple, devotees will fulfill their vows, offer thanksgiving prayers and penance to Lord Muruga. The chariot is then scheduled for a return trip to start from the temple (31st Jan 2010) on the same evening and reach Kovil Veedu before dawn the following day.

This festival of rich culture and deep tradition is an ‘out of this world’ experience which draws a massive crowd of tens of thousands to these streets in Penang yearly.