Tag: clan

Views from Lorong Toh Aka (Toh Aka Lane)

Lorong Toh Aka, also known as Toh Aka Lane, is a narrow, T-shaped alley nestled within George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage Site in Penang. Historically, it was known as “Ironworks Street” due to its association with ironsmiths, particularly from the Cheah clan. Today, the lane is lined with pre-war heritage townhouses, reflecting its rich past. A notable feature is a steel rod art sculpture depicting an ironsmith at work, commemorating the lane’s historical significance. Lorong Toh Aka connects to Beach Street, Malay Street, and the Acheen Street Mosque, making it a charming spot that blends cultural heritage with the vibrant life of George Town.

Fun Fact: The lane gets its name due to a prominent Cheah ironsmith whose descendants were among the first Chinese blacksmiths in George Town. The ironsmith legacy is celebrated with a whimsical steel-rod caricature sculpture on the lane, showing a traditional blacksmith hard at work — part of George Town’s iconic street art series by Sculpture at Work.

Penang Isle: The TAN Jetty

Scenes from Tan Jetty, one of the six clan jetties at the eastern shore of Penang island.
As the name suggested, this jetty used to house Chinese immigrants of the Tan surname clan from the Fujian Province in China during the colonial era in the late 19th century.

Toh Aka Lane and its Street Art

Toh Aka Lane is a small alley within the inner city of George Town. A number of the old heritage townhouses here are owned by the Cheah clan members as they have been living here since the 1800s.

George Town Street View: Yeoh Kongsi Clanhouse

The Yeoh Kongsi clan association and temple located at the intersection of Chulia Street Ghaut and Victoria Street, George Town.

The official name of the “Kongsi” is Har Yang Sit Teik Tong Yeoh Kongsi, and it is is a Hokkien clan association for the Yeoh surnamed descendants.

George Town Street View: Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi

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Located along Victoria Street and built in 1878, Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi is an ancestral clan temple for the Khoo clan people in Penang. It is one of the two Khoo clan temples in Penang and also the smaller and less popular one compared to the main Khoo Kongsi at Cannon Street, George Town.