Sabah Kota Kinabalu Chinese Calligraphy Association and a local resort held a three-day event to promote traditional Asian practices among the resort’s guests and local communities, thereby helping to preserve those arts.
The association’s master calligrapher Teo Seng Chong and deputy secretary Ng Keam Kee conducted a Chinese calligraphy workshop for resort guests, and another for local schoolchildren.
This project ended with a one-day exhibition at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort’s lobby.
The workshop participants’ artworks were put on display and viewed by more than 1,000 people.
According to a media statement, the programme under Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ Arts and Culture Project focused on Chinese calligraphy this year, in hopes that it would serve as a bridge between different cultures in multi-ethnic Sabah.
The workshops and exhi- bition offered a platform for cultural exchange as well as to foster mutual respect and understanding among various communities.
According to the 2020 Malaysia Census, the Chinese community made up approximately 9.1% or 370,000 of Sabah’s population, contributing to various sectors including education, business and politics.
Chinese immigration to Sabah traces back to early trade interactions, even before British rule began in 1881.
The Hakka community, in particular, made significant contributions to agriculture, mining and trade.
The British North Borneo Company actively encouraged Chinese immigration, to strengthen the local economy.
Over time, the Chinese community integrated with the local population, playing a vital role in Sabah’s cultural and economic development.
