Author: Will C

Penang Lion Dance during Chinese New Year

Lion dance on poles performance for GAMA Departmental Store during Chinese New Year opening.

During Chinese New Year in Penang, lion dances fill public and temple spaces with percussion-driven, acrobatic performances meant to welcome prosperity and chase away negative energy, often culminating in the cai qing blessing for homes and businesses.

In Malaysia, Master Siow Ho Phiew is a Malaysian lion dance coach and lion-head craftsman, widely called the father of Malaysia’s high-pole lion dance for creating a high-pole sequence that became a new standard and for spreading the style internationally through teaching.

Tai Por Kong Temple

Tai Por Kong Temple in Penang commonly refers to San Jiang Temple (三江庙) at Macallum Street Ghaut, a Chinese temple that began as a small shrine founded in 1920 and was later rebuilt after fundraising when the old premises aged. It is associated with the Hui’an Hokkien community, and the name “San Jiang” is said to come from the original Tai Por Kong temple in Hui’an, China, which overlooks three rivers.
​The temple is also one of the famous temples that conducts the Tai Sui rite, especially during the Chinese New Year. A Tai Sui rite (拜太岁 / 安太岁) is a Taoist-style prayer/appeasement ritual done to seek protection, smoothness, and to “make peace” with the year’s Tai Sui (the annual celestial authority linked to the lunar year), especially if your Chinese Zodiac is believed to be “offending Tai Sui” that year.

Chinese New Year 2026 Southern Lion Dance Blessing Ceremony at Kuan Yin Temple (Kuan Yin Teng)

A blessing ceremony for the lions which takes place at the old Kuan Yin Temple in George Town during Chinese New Year. Several vibrant southern-style lions in turquoise, pink, and yellow can be seen performing at the temple courtyard as part of the blessing ceremony.

Penang’s southern-style lions trace back to southern Chinese migrant roots, were sustained by local martial arts and community groups, and later evolved in Malaysia into a highly trained, competition-driven performance tradition while remaining central to festive and blessing ceremonies.

Kek Lok Si’s Sea of Lanterns: Penang’s CNY 2026 Night Lights (13 Feb–16 Mar)

Kek Lok Si Temple in Air Itam, Penang, comes alive for Chinese New Year 2026 with a dazzling nightly light-up that turns the hillside complex into a glowing “sea of lanterns,” perfect for an evening visit and festive photos. The CNY light-up season runs from 13 February to 16 March 2026, with the official light-up ceremony on 13 February (7:00pm–8:00pm) featuring prayers and fireworks, and the lights typically shining nightly from 7:00pm to 12:00am throughout the period—making it one of Penang’s most iconic Lunar New Year traditions and a must-see stop if you’re on the island this season.

Sunshine Central Mall : 2026 Chinese New Year Festive Display

Sunshine Central Penang’s CNY 2026 décor concept spotlights the Five Chinese Arts (琴・棋・书・画・茶) and uses the Horse as the central auspicious motif, framing the mall’s festive experience as elegant, culturally rooted, and focused on togetherness and blessings. These five arts combine the traditional “Four Arts of the Chinese scholar” (琴棋书画: qin music, Go, calligraphy, painting) with 茶 (tea culture), forming a refined, literati-style set of cultural pursuits​.

Sunshine Central is a mixed-use complex with a shopping mall podium located in Air Itam (near Farlim/Paya Terubong) in George Town, Penang, and the mall’s published address is along Jalan Thean Tek in Bandar Baru Air Itam.

Gurney Plaza : 2026 Chinese New Year Festive Display

Gurney Plaza’s Chinese New Year 2026 décor is themed around “Luminous Flair of Prosperity” (华灯璀璨) for the Year of the Horse, with a strong red-and-gold “lantern festival” feel. A standout feature repeatedly mentioned in local posts is rows of glowing fish lanterns (发光鱼灯笼) that create a very photogenic walkway/atrium setup.

There were also promotions tied to the theme, including a “glowing procession” event described as involving participants carrying illuminated fish lanterns within the mall area.

Queensbay Mall : 2026 Chinese New Year Festive Display

Queensbay Mall’s Chinese New Year 2026 decorations are themed around the Year of the Fire Horse, described as “Spring Returns, Joy Unbound,” featuring a cute horse motif set in a bamboo-and-lantern landscape with interactive elements like a tea pavilion, a bridge, a “treasure well” with golden ingots (with lucky numbers), and a lantern maze with prayer wheels tied to those numbers. The display’s big visual centerpiece is a towering two‑storey vertical scroll designed to look like a traditional ink painting turned into a 3D installation for photo-taking​.

Armenian Street Lanterns

Armenian Street comes alive at night in this cozy, lantern-lit scene, where rows of glowing red Chinese lanterns float above the narrow lane and warm streetlights bounce off the old shophouse walls. The bright yellow road markings lead your eye into the distance, while little details (plants by the gates, hanging wires overhead, and small storefront corners) give the street its lived-in Penang character.

Armenian Street Park: 2026 Chinese New Year Decorations

Armenian Street Park in George Town was lit up for Chinese New Year 2026 as part of the build-up to the Penang Miaohui celebrations, with the area illuminated during an official lighting-up ceremony. The park’s central decoration highlight is “Xiao Jun,” a cheerful horse installation unveiled at Armenian Park, set as a photo spot for visitors. Surrounding it are six golden “trees” with shimmering leaves and a set of large drums bearing auspicious greetings, adding to the festive display and performance backdrop. These decorations help set the stage for Miaohui 2026 (themed around a “decoding” cultural journey), which organisers describe as a major annual Chinese New Year cultural programme in the Armenian Street heritage enclave with free public admission.