The Penang state government has declared seven more intangible cultural traditions as State Heritage, covering performing arts, martial arts, language and literature, and beliefs.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the declaration under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011 aimed to preserve the state’s heritage for future generations.
The seven newly recognised heritage elements are the Teong Guan Phor Thor Festival, Boria, Ghazal Parti, Penang Bangsawan, Silat Pelaga: Siku 12, Penang Dondang Sayang and the Penang Hokkien dialect.
Wong was speaking yesterday at the second State Heritage Declaration Ceremony for 2026, officiated by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and attended by National Heritage Department director-general and Heritage Commissioner Mohamad Muda Bahadin.
Wong said six sites had also undergone assessment for designation as Heritage Sites under the enactment. They are Loo Pun Hong Temple, the Upper Station, Lower Station and railway tracks of the Penang Hill Funicular Railway, the Dato Koyah Mausoleum, Thai Pak Koong Temple (Ng Suk) on King Street, the Fooi Chew Association Building and Kwangtung and Tengchow No. 1 Cemetery.
As of September last year, 35 intangible cultural heritage items had been declared State Heritage, comprising 28 types of heritage food, one literary language, three cultural customs, two beliefs and one martial art.
A further 15 sites had been designated as Heritage Sites under the enactment.
Chow described Penang as a unique “living museum”, with its architecture, traditional villages, religious sites and cultural landscapes, alongside the languages, food, performing arts and customs that shape the state’s character and identity.
He said the recognition underscored that heritage conservation extended beyond historic buildings and sites to include intangible heritage, which he described as the soul of the community.
“We also want to add value to our heritage through festivals, heritage walks, gastronomy, digitalisation and creative economy activities, which will not only enrich the tourist experience but also create opportunities for young people, arts practitioners and local entrepreneurs,” he said.
Chow said Penang’s tourism sector continued to show positive momentum, recording 967,742 international hotel guests in the first quarter of this year. Penang International Airport also recorded 2.65 million international passenger movements from January to July, an increase of 11.1% compared with the same period last year. - Bernama
