Chinatown in Penang

Penang will have its very own Chinatown pretty soon. According to The Star, PENANG’S UNESCO world heritage site will soon boast of having the country’s first ‘cultural hotel’.

Property owner K.H. Seah said three pre-war houses along Jalan Pintal Tali would be restored and re-opened as a high-end hotel to be named ‘1881 Chong Tian Cultural Hotel’.

These triple-storey buildings, which have been around for over a century, is located where the area will be developed as Penang’s Chinatown.

Big plans: The three pre-war houses along Jalan Pintal Tali will be restored and reopened as a high-end hotel to be named ‘1881 Chong Tian Cultural Hotel’

Penang already has Little India and the Malay Kapitan heritage enclaves here but no Chinatown. Work on the cultural hotel will start at the end of the month and is expected to complete by the end of the year.

The cultural hotel would have a library, mini cafe and museum featuring extensive antique collections dating back to the 18th century. The library resources and exhibition area will be open and free to everyone.

Priceless piece: The intricately carved wooden door in one of the three houses will be preserved

Source: The Star..
Heritage boost for Penang

International Book Fair - Kuala Lumpur - Mar 22 to 28 - Putra World Trade Centre

If you are in Kuala Lumpur between now until March 28 and if you enjoy reading, head on over to PWTC (Putra World Trade Centre) where there is an International Book Fair going on.

Pllenty of good bargains on all kinds of books and educational tools from both local and foreign publishers. Occupying five halls, the book fair features 856 booths, out of which 128 are taken up by foreign publishers.

The book fair, going into its 29th year, is the biggest ever held in South-East Asia, and is endorsed by the Malaysia Book of Records.  It is expected to attract about two million visitors this year.

According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) standards, Malaysia is not yet listed as a reading nation even though the reading trend among Malaysians is improving.

The target requires a nation to have 1% publication of its total population. Currently Malaysia has about 15,000 publications, while the total population is about 27 million, according to The Star though I think the number stands at 28.5 million now.

Admission to the fair is free.


Source: The Star..Bigger international book fair

RM9 flight on Air Asia / Matta Fair 12-14 March, PWTC

That's right.  Air Asia is offering its Big Sale again with flights starting for as low as RM9.

All destinations apply from March 3 to 7, with domestic destinations like Penang, Langkawi, Terengganu, Johor Baru and Kota Baru priced from RM9 one-way.

To Kuching for RM29 and to Kota Kinabalu for RM49 one-way. For international flights, Austra­lian destinations such as Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth start at RM149 one-way, while a ticket to London is going for RM699.

To enjoy the discounts, passengers must book their trip between March 3 and 7 for travel between Sept 25 this year and Feb 13 next year.

And for those looking to find other travel bargains, head on over to the Matta Fair slated for 12-14 March at PWTC (Putra World Trade Centre) from 10am to 9pm. Happy bargain-hunting!

1Malaysia Ceramics Exhibition - Museum Negara, Kuala Lumpur

If you are into ceramics, visit the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur for a ceramics exhibition.

The National Museum has grouped together the most precious artefacts from its ceramic collection in the 1Malaysia Ceramics Exhibition, which runs until March 28.

171 artefacts have been hand-picked from the museum's collection as they best reflect the diversity of the nation's multiracial society.

The artefacts are categorised into six groups:

— Prehistoric Ceramics, Enduring Reminders,
- Malay Ceramics, Tranquillity of the Soul,
- Chinese Ceramics, Symbol and Legacy,
- Indian Ceramics, Devotion and Worship,
- Sabah and Sarawak Ceramics, Magic and Spirituality, and
- Shipwreck Ceramics: Treasures from the Seabed.

Fine work: A refined enamel painting on a porcelain plate that reflects Chinese customs and beliefs.

More.. The Star..Ceramics that tell the Malaysian story