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Address: Armenian Street, Penang

Admission: Free

The Cheah Kongsi clan association was founded in 1820 by Cheah Em, an immigrant who originally hailed from Sek Tong village in South China. Upon his death, his widow Ong Sin Neoh took charge of the association and created the legal mechanisms and trust funds to ensure that the association would continue into perpetuity. Her son, Cheah Choo Yew, and his succeeding descendants have served as the presidents of the clan association ever since.

The Cheah clan temple is an eclectic mix of a Chinese mansion, Chinese temple, and European bungalow. The present temple building dates from the 1870s. The premises also include a similarly eclectic office building and surrounding rentable properties.

The temple porch was renovated in the 1930s with the addition of British lionheads. The roof decorations feature sirens, dogs, lions of stucco and shards of both Chinese and Dutch crockery. Just as eclectic are the old office building and it’s interior which combine Malay, Chinese and European elements.

Location map

GPS Coordinates: 5.415188E, 100.338301N Show on map

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Posted by admin on March 5, 2011 under World Heritage.