Re-creating Penang’s Golden Age at Seven Terraces

Blue and white porcelain sweet meat trays spanning two centuries, from 1780 to 1980, from the reign of the Kang Xi emperor to the time of Deng Xiaoping, on display at the exhibition. Photo: Jeremy Tan

For most Malaysian Chinese families, the Lunar New Year and other special occasions would not be complete without a serving of candied fruits, nuts, seeds and more on multi-sectioned sweetmeat trays.

Known as chuan hup in Mandarin, or chien hup and chien pua in the Hokkien dialect in Penang, they are believed to have been first used during the later part of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and signify good luck and prosperity.