Explore a different destination Penang Clan Temples

      EarthDocumentary World Budget Travel Guide About Me Compare Hotel Room Rates from different Booking Sites



Clan Temples in Penang

Penang clan temples are built by the different clan associations in Penang during the mid 19th to the early 20th centuries. These clan temples are constructed for the purpose of worshipping the patron deities of the clans as well as to venerate ancestors. Within these clan temples are usually ancestral tablets of those who have departed. Hanging on the walls of these temples are the photographs of clan members who have achieved academic or financial success. These are usually the benefactors of the clan associations.

Clan associations in Penang are created by Hokkien Chinese who immigrated here in since the early 19th century. They set up clan associations to assist their fellowmen, to settle into the new environment and find employment. Eventually, those who have settled and prospered give back by assisting newcomers of a similar clan. Although the clans were initially set up for the sake of offering helping, by the second half of the 19th century, intense rivalry manifested itself as one clan tried to outdo the other. Nevertheless, the Hokkien clans remained close-knit against peoples of other dialect groups, such as the Hakka and the Cantonese.

The wealthiest of the Hokkien clans is the Khoo, which built the most extravagant clan temple, Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, at Cannon Square. It is not the only Khoo clan temple in Penang. A short distance away in the quieter, less visited Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi, also another clan temple belonging to a subset of the main Khoo clan. Within Penang, five Hokkien clan associations are regarded as the backbone of the Penang Hokkien clan associations. They are the Khoo, the Tan, the Lim, the Cheah and the Yeoh, and they each has a clan temple somewhere in George Town. On this page, we will visit these clan temples and get to know them more closely.

In addition to the Hokkien clans, the Cantonese built district associations which have similar functions to the Hokkien associations. Among these are the Ng Fook Thong District Association and the San Wooi Wooi Koon. We are now in the process of documenting other clan associations and district associations and will post them on this page when ready.


Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi
Victoria Street


Carpenter's Guild
Lo Pan Hang (Lo Pan Ku Miau), Love Lane


Cheah Kongsi
Armenian Street


Chin Kongsi (Chin Si Thoong Soo)
King Street


Choo Chay Keong Temple
Yap Clan Temple, Lebuh Armenian


Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi
Seh Tan Court


Hainan Temple
Muntri Street


Heong San Hoay Kuan / Chong San Wooi Koon
King Street


Khaw Kongsi
Burmah Road


Khoo Kongsi (Leong San Tong)
Cannon Square


Lee Kongsi (Lee Sih Chong Soo)
King Street


Lim Kongsi (Kew Leong Tong)
Ah Quee Street


Loh Kongsi
Logan Road


Meng Eng Choo
Ghee Hin Memorial Hall of Heroes, Rope Walk


Moey She Temple
Penang Street


Nam Hooi Wooi Koon
Cantonese district association


Ng Fook Thong Temple
Chulia Street


Ng Kongsi
King Street


Nin Yong Temple
King Street


Ong Kongsi
Penang Road


Penang Goldsmith Association
Muntri Street


Poe Choo Seah
King Street


San Wooi Wooi Koon
Cantonese District Association


Sungai Nibong Tan Kongsi
Sungai Nibong


Teh Kongsi
Hutton Lane


Teoh Kongsi
Teoh Clan Association


Wooi Ning Wooi Koon
Cantonese District Association


Yap Kongsi
Lebuh Armenian


Yeoh Kongsi
Chulia Street Ghaut

Get the best rates when booking Penang hotels

Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?

The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!



Great Travel Deals Wego.com

Flight Checker

Our Flight Checker helps travelers compare flights and get the lowest fare for their trips. If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.

Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.


Return to Penang Travel Tips homepage

My message introducing God to all the world: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO TIM


Bookmark and Share   Follow EarthDocumentary on Twitter


Tim's Travel Tips and globe logo are trademark and service mark of Timothy Tye. Copyright © 2008-2010 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.
Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms.