BUTTERWORTH: Local marketplaces here were quiet on Chinese New Year’s Eve, with most shops closed.
The places that were typically bustling with holiday crowds, sat mostly empty, creating a calm feeling across the city.
ALSO READ: Roads in Penang calmer than usual on the eve of Chinese New Year
At Kampung Baru market only a few shops were open with customers doing some last-minute shopping.
Spotted at the public market was Bee Heong Cheang, 50, with her husband buying fresh vegetables for their reunion dinner.
"We already bought all the main preparation for cooking tonight, today we came here to buy some fresh vegetables," she said when met at the market.
ALSO READ: ‘Home alone’ granddad awaits Chinese New Year
Bee said she and her relatives would cook together at her house at Taman Machang Bubuk and prepare food for 20 people.
She said she had been organising the reunion dinner at her house since her parents passed away several years ago.
She said that reunion dinner was the best occasion for families to gather once a year as this can foster close relationships with each other.
A check at North-South Highway saw smooth traffic flow on the morning of Chinese New Year's eve (Jan 28).
Key routes such as Juru reported light vehicle flow and the Penang roads were calmer than usual, with lighter traffic on the Penang Bridge and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah during early hours.
However, markets and malls saw congestion later in the day as last-minute shoppers rushed to prepare for the festive season.
Drivers are urged to stay cautious due to wet and slippery roads caused by rain on Monday (Jan 27) nightmare.
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