 A Chinesewantan mee hawker stall inGeorge Town. | |
| Total population | |
| 718,362 41.3% ofPenang's population in 2020[1] (census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Penang | |
 George Town:City centre,Balik Pulau,Ayer Itam,Tanjong Bungah,Jelutong,Paya Terubong,Tanjong Tokong[2] | |
| {{{region2}}} | _Logo.png){kind=logo} Seberang Perai:Bukit Mertajam,Nibong Tebal,Butterworth,Simpang Ampat[2] |
| Languages | |
| Penang Hokkien andMalaysian Mandarin (lingua franca) Malaysian,Kedah Malay,English,Manglish Other dialects:Cantonese,Teochew,Hakka | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlyBuddhism and/orTaoism, with a significant number ofChristians. Minority:Islam,Atheism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chinese diaspora,Peranakan,Chindian | |
Penangite Chinese are ethnicChinese Malaysians of full or partialChinese ancestry who either hail from or live within the State ofPenang. As of 2020[update], 45% of Penang's population belonged to theChinese ethnic group, making ethnic Chinese the largest ethnic community within the state.[3][4]
Most Chinese Penangites are the descendants of Chinese traders, accountants, merchants, labourers and immigrants from southernChina who moved to thePenang between the 18th and 20th centuries. By the mid-19th century,George Town, the capital city of Penang, was home to a significantPeranakan community, also known as theKing's Chinese due to their loyalty to theBritish crown.[5] UnderBritish colonial rule, Penang continued to experience increasing Chinese immigration throughout the 19th century. As the largest group of Penangite Chinese are ethnic Hokkiens (38% of the Chinese penangite population in 1957)[6][7] who came from southernFujian Province, home to theHokkien language,Penang Hokkien was gradually developed and is now widely used by Penangites for daily communication.
Penang's Chinese have been well-represented withinMalaysia and also internationally in various professional, political, economic and other fields. To date, Penang is the only state inMalaysia where the position of the Chief Minister, who leads the state government, has been continuously held by anethnic Chinese since independence. Renowned figures, includingJimmy Choo andNicol David, hailed from Penang and have contributed greatly in raising the country's profile internationally.
Penangite Chinese typically refer to themselves asTn̂g-lâng inPenang Hokkien.[8] In English parlance within Penang, Penangite Chinese are simply referred to as "Chinese".
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Chinese sailors had explored the seas offPenang Island as early as the 15th century. During theMing Dynasty, Chinese seafarers led by AdmiralZheng He sailed the length of theMalacca Straits; Penang Island may have appeared in theNautical Charts of Zheng He.
However, it was only sometime in the 18th century when the Chinese began to arrive on Penang Island. It was recorded that the fishing village ofTanjung Tokong on the northern coast of the island was founded by Zhang Li, a sailor whose arrival on Penang Island preceded that of CaptainFrancis Light by at least a few decades.[9][10]
After theBritish East India Company under CaptainFrancis Light foundedGeorge Town in 1786, ethnic Chinese began to move to Penang in increasing numbers. In particular, thePeranakans, who already had established themselves along the western coast of theMalay Peninsula, shifted to Penang.[11] This, coupled with the greater number of newer immigrants fromChina throughout the 19th century, effectively made the Chinese the largest ethnic group in Penang by the 1850s.[12]
As Penang grew into a majorentrepôt towards the end of the 19th century, the influx of various cultures and religions would create a melting pot where the multi-ethnic and multi-religious society could exist in harmony. Similarly, over time, the newer Chinese arrivals became acculturated to the existing local culture and customs due to intermarriages between the Peranakans and the "Sinkeh". At the turn of the century, the Chinese nationalistSun Yat-sen's campaigns to liberateChina from imperial Manchu rule attractedconsiderable financial support from Penang's Chinese population.
DuringWorld War II, ethnic Chinese in Penang suffered brutal and often violent treatment in the hands of the occupyingImperial Japanese Army. The Japanese implemented a policy known asSook Ching, a systematic purge of perceived hostile elements, including the Chinese. Hundreds of ethnic Chinese as well as 3,500 other non-Chinese POWs were massacred and buried in unmarked mass graves throughout Penang during theJapanese occupation period.[13]
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Out of the nearly 720,000 Penangite Chinese, most are concentrated onPenang Island, particularly within and around the city ofGeorge Town.
Ethnic Chinese constitute the plurality of Penang Island's population; the 2020 Malaysian Census indicated that about 56% of Penang Island's inhabitants were ofChinese descent.[14] On the island, more Chinese reside within theNortheastern District, whereGeorge Town is situated, compared to the less-populatedSouthwestern District.[15]
The Chinese also accounted for 35.7% of the population inSeberang Perai, the mainland halve of the State of Penang.[14] They most commonly reside within theCentral andSouthern districts, forming a visible majority in the towns within these districts, such asBukit Mertajam,Batu Kawan andNibong Tebal.[16]
| Area | Percentage (%) | Largest concentrations |
|---|---|---|
| Penang Island | 56.0 | Northeast Penang Island District (George Town) |
| Seberang Perai | 35.7 | Central Seberang Perai District (Bukit Mertajam) |
| South Seberang Perai District (Nibong Tebal,Batu Kawan) |
According to the2010 Malaysian Census, up to 63.9% ofPenang's Sinitic population spokeHokkien as their mother tongue.[17] This figure likely included those withPeranakan ancestry. The second largest Sinitic linguistic group in Penang was theTeochews, constituting 17.8% of Penang's Sinitic community, followed by theCantonese at 8.3%. There were also smallerHakka andHainanese communities throughout Penang.[17][18]
| Language group | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Hokkien | 63.9 |
| Teochew | 17.8 |
| Cantonese | 8.3 |
| Hakka | 5.2 |
| Hainanese | 1.5 |
| Others | 3.2 |
| Total | 100.0 |
The resulting ubiquitous use ofHokkien has madePenang Hokkien thelingua franca among Penangites. Penang Hokkien, which originated from a subdialect of Zhangzhou Hokkien, incorporated severalMalay andEnglish terms over the centuries, eventually evolving into a distinctHokkien dialect used mainly in northernMalaysia. Uniquely forPenang, this localised Hokkien creole is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for daily communication, so much so that even local police officers also take courses in Penang Hokkien.[19][20][21] More recently, Penang Hokkien has also been popularised in mass media, particularly through books, dictionaries and movies, due in part to the desire to maintain the language's relevance in the face of increasing influence ofMandarin andEnglish amongst the younger generations.[22][23] Just like in other states, younger sinitic generation in Penang mostly speaks Mandarin with family and friends now.
Besides Penang Hokkien andMandarin, the latter of which has been used as a medium of instruction in Chinese primary schools in Penang,Cantonese,Teochew andHakka are spoken by smaller numbers of Chinese as well. In general, these communities arrived in Penang after theHokkiens had already established themselves within the colony in the early 19th century. TheCantonese andHakka communities, in particular, would go on to predominate parts of George Town towards the end of the 19th century, while a significant number ofTeochews were also employed in the agricultural industries within the then Province Wellesley (nowSeberang Perai).[18] To this day, many of theTeochews continue to reside in the towns ofSeberang Perai, such asBukit Mertajam, Sungai Bakap andNibong Tebal.
In addition, all Penangites are conversant withMalay, the national language ofMalaysia, as the language is made compulsory in all schools in Penang. A legacy ofBritish rule is the existence of several English and missionary schools throughout Penang, which also contributes to the relatively high level of English proficiency among Penangites.[24]
Along with other races, the Chinese have greatly influenced Penang's streetcuisine, one of the more famous culinary styles inSoutheast Asia. Penang is famous for its variants of Chinese dishes, includingchar kuey teow,Hokkien mee andchee cheong fun. These are in addition to the famousasam laksa, a local variant of the Peranakan fusion dish, which was ranked 7th inCNN's list of the world's 50 best dishes.[25]
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Some of the major Chinese cultural celebrations in Penang include theChinese New Year,Lantern Festival,Zhong Yuan Festival andMid-Autumn Festival.
The largest of all is the Chinese New Year, which includes a number of festivities and observances which are unique to Penang. For instance, theJade Emperor's Birthday, also known colloquially as the "Hokkien New Year", falls on the 9th day ofChinese New Year and is widely observed inPenang.[26]Chinese New Year festivities inPenang also include the traditional lighting up of the iconicKek Lok Si Temple, a 'fire watching' ceremony in theSnake Temple and open houses by several ornate Chinese clan houses withinGeorge Town'sUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[27]
Wesak Day is celebrated by the Buddhists with a grand procession by Buddhist associations and temples based in Penang since 1949, with floats depicting both Mahayana and Theravada traditions.[28] Most Buddhists and Taoists observeQing Ming and theZhong Yuan Festival, both to honour their departed relatives and friends. Taoists also celebrate various Taoist Deities's birthday likeGuan Gong's Birthday andNine Emperor Gods Festival at various temples in Penang. The Christians, meanwhile, observeChristmas andEaster, with the Catholics also observing theSaint Anne'sNovena for 10 days at theSt. Anne's Church inBukit Mertajam.
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Chingay parades were said to have originated in Penang in the early 20th century, before spreading to the rest ofPeninsular Malaysia andSingapore.[29] ThePenang variant of the Chingay parade includes a giant flag balancing act on one's forehead.
Since the 1950s, an annual Chingay parade has been held within the city ofGeorge Town every December, in a bid to retain this unique cultural practice.[30][31][32]
Most Penangite Chinese today either go to a national-type Chinese school (SMJK), chinese private high school, a national school (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, orSMK) or a missionary school. In recent years, international schools, which traditionally cater toPenang's expatriate community, are also increasingly popular among Penangites themselves.[33]
As a result, Penangite Chinese are multilingual, with the ability to converse inMalay,English and eitherMandarin or another Chinese dialect (typically the individual's mother tongue). Due to the strong English education system that was established by the British inPenang, many Penangites, especially those who went to missionary schools, are able to maintain at least a reasonable command ofEnglish.[24]Mandarin has also been increasingly used by the younger generations, as it is the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout the state.
George Town served as the nucleus of Malaysia's Chinese education system, when in 1904,Chung Hwa Confucian High School was established. It was the first Chinese school to be built inBritish Malaya, as well as the first to useMandarin as its medium of instruction.
To this day, Chinese schools in Penang maintain a reputation for academic excellence. The Chinese secondary schools in Penang, both public and private, are as listed below.
The list includes Penangites of partial Chinese descent.