Thursday, May 1, 2014

Khoo Kongsi: The Finest Clanhouse outside China

clanhouse, Penang, George Town
Gazing up at the Khoo Khongsi's Upper Level

Moving to a new country can be an overwhelming challenge and having family there that you can rely on eases the transition and provides community. That's the case now, and it was even more true in the pre-internet days when long distance communication was harder. Because of Confucianism, Chinese culture has a big emphasis on filial piety (i.e. respect for one's parents and ancestors) and by extension, supporting the family clan. Historically, Chinese who immigrated to a new country settled down where their clan had already begun establishing roots so that they wouldn't be alone. Within each Chinatown, clan associations sprouted up to serve as a benevolent organization for family members.

My family left Guangdong, China three generations ago. As a young man, my grandfather moved to the Philippines where he joined his uncle working at The University Club in Manila. More family members immigrated there, and the clan grew. They lived close to each other and relied on each other for support to survive the Japanese Occupation during World War II. After my parents married in Manila, they were the first in the family to move to the United States. Family members from the Philippines began to move to the USA, and some chose to live near my parents who could assist them in finding housing and jobs in this new country. We stick together. Now that I'm living in Malaysia, the great-grandson of the relative who first welcomed my own grandfather to the Philippines with a job is living in my Texas home and taking care of it for me. When we visit home, my kids get to play with their young 4th cousins with whom they share a great-great-great-grandparent.

When the Chinese began immigrating to Penang, they also gravitated towards their extended family, their clan, for support in this new land. Various clans had their own jetties reaching out over the straits, and families could build houses on them to live near their kin. The clans grew larger and built clanhouses (kongsi), modeled after the ones built in China, where they could gather and honor their ancestors.

Penang, George Town, clanhouse
Khoo Kongsi, a magnificent example of Chinese architecture

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi is supposedly the finest clanhouse outside of China. It's certainly the most elaborate on in Penang and perhaps all of Malaysia. Hidden away in busy George Town just off the increasingly touristy Armenian Street, you approach it via an inconspicious entrance on Cannon Street. After paying your admission fee and walking around a couple townhouses of the small clan village, the square suddenly opens up in front of you to reveal this magnificent specimen of Chinese architecture.

Standing in the square looking up at it, I am in awe by how ornate it is. It's actually less grand than the clanhouse which originally stood here. That one mysteriously burned down shortly after construction was completed in 1894, and the Khoos attributed it to wrathful gods angry that they had lavished so much on honoring their ancestors who were mere mortals.

Walls are decorated with sculpted tableaus. Pillars have elaborate carvings snaking up them from bottom to top. Bright lanterns hang down, and even the beams supporting the ceilings have scenes painted and carved into them.

clanhouse, Penang
Veranda across the front of the clan temple

Even the roof is amazing. It is said to weigh 25 to 50 tons. Large shields perch on top and are covered with scenes bearing such fine detail that you need either telescope or a camera with an excellent zoom in order to truly appreciate it. Dragons curl around the edges. Men hang off balconies waving at someone across a shophouse entrance. These are all made from meticulously arranged shards of broken ceramic bowls.

Shards of ceramic bowls used to decorate rooftop
Shields on the rooftop decorated with shards from ceramic bowls

Faded paint on the carvings hint that this building was even more vibrant in its early days when both materials and craftsmen were shipped over from China to construct it. Finished in 1906, it was bombed during World War II and took years to restore. It is still in use by the Khoo clan today but is open to the general public.

clanhouse, Penang
Cryng Monk statue at base of staircase leading to upper level. Happy Monk is on the other side.

clanhouse, Penang

clanhouse, Penang
Statue of Muslim man  on lower level

Three halls sit side-by-side across the top level of Khoo Khongsi. The Central Hall is the largest and most ornate. Like the outside, walls and ceilings are covered with decorations. It is dedicated to the patron saints of the Khoo family who are mortal warriors elevated to god status after defending China from northern invaders.

Central Hall of Khoo Kongsi

clanhouse, Penang
Side view of Central Hall with ink frescoes of the 36 legendary heroes of Chinese mythology on the side wall

clanhouse, Penang
Joss sticks burn in front of the altar in Central Hall

clanhouse, Penang
Statues of Ong Soon and Tai Sai, the patron saints of the Khoo family, sit in the altar

The room on the right is the Hall to the God of Prosperity. Gold-painted signboards display the achievements of various Khoo family members. Many list a university in far flung places such as Australia and the United Kingdom while others have gone on to become doctors of medicine, State Councillors, or Justices of the Peace. An altar sits at the back of the room, and once again, a carved table sits in front of it with burning incense sticks and offerings on it.

Khoo Kongsi, clanhouse, Penang
Hall to the God of Prosperity

The Ancestral Hall is on the left side. More congratulatory signs line the walls of this room, too. The altar holds tall, slim tablets inscribed with the name of beloved family members who have passed away. Honoring ancestors is a key part of filial piety.

Khoo Kongsi, clanhouse, Penang
Ancestral Hall

A breezeway stretches across the back of the Khoo Kongsi's upper level. Its soothing, blue walls offer a respite from the stimulating golds, reds, and blacks of the rooms I've just explored. Seven ink murals decorate the walls and are just as artistic as the rest of the building. They are original to the building and are late Qing Dynasty works which are rare in this region. Hundred Sons and Thousand Grandsons epitomizes the Chinese wish for big families. A house filled with offspring is considered a blessing. It is also a wish for the Khoo clan to flourish since the number of offspring illustrates the power of the clan.

Hundred Sons and Thousand Grandsons

In Penang's UNESCO World Heritage Site, this beautiful clanhouse is not to be missed, in my opinion, if you want to explore classical Chinese architecture and art. (My kids do not fall into this category, so I visited while they were at school.) On the day I was there, very few visitors wandered around even though the streets outside were teeming with tourists riding trishaws and photographing street art. 

IF YOU GO:
  • Admission is RM10 for people ages 12 years and up. Children under 12 years are only RM1.
  • Open 9AM to 5PM daily
  • The last Saturday of every month is An Evening of Lights at Khoo Kongsi when it's open from 6 or 7PM until 10PM and admission is free. Cultural performances are put on in the square in front of the hall. 
  • See the website http://www.khookongsi.com.my for more information.

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This post is part of the following Link Ups. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

24 comments:

  1. What a beautiful building but what I find particularly interesting is how well you could trace your family tree - and what a life your ancestors have led. The journeys they have made to new countries and starting all over attest to the importance of families for help. I really like the idea of a clanhouse.

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  2. I've always wondered what was inside. Thanks for the peek in!

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  3. Hi Michele,

    Usually I comment on the linked blogs in the order they appear, but today I thought I would start with the one that appealed to me the most and it was yours! And my instinct didn't let me down, I loved this post, especially as it is relevant to your heritage. How nice to walk around the clanhouse and actually understand what everything means. I enjoyed the stories of Chinese Immigration. I also can imagine the relief of the cool blue breezeway after all the bright colours of the other rooms.

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  4. What a lovely back story and intro to clanhouses. I wasn't sure what they were as I'd never heard of them before. Thanks for the history.
    The immigrant story is always fascinating. I love how everyone helps everyone else to settle in and get a leg up. It's a familiar story, one that I can relate to. Thanks, Michele! I enjoyed your post.

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  5. Wow, that is stunning! Enjoyed hearing a little about your background, too!

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  6. I loved that you started the article with your own personal story and clan and how it relates to these temples and what they symbolize - beautiful writing Michelle I really enjoyed reading and understanding the synificance (sp) of these family temples

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  7. Your story of the generations of family clans is so calming and yet had to be scary for the families. No matter what ancestral country they immigrate from, the story is the same. All our families bonded and drew strength from the clan, no matter what country they left.

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  8. I've been to many places, but this one seems so historical and interesting. Spending there one afternoon is a must!

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  9. Gorgeous! And how cool and interconnected that your relative is staying in your house in Texas while you are in Malaysia.

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  10. Such beautiful detail and architecture! Love the history behind it too. Thank you...

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  11. It's absolutely gorgeous! I'm embarrassed to say that I missed this both time I was in Penang. Another reason to come back!

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  12. The detail and artistry is stunning, thanks for providing insights into the history behind this too.

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  13. Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi is probably the finest clanhouse outside of China, but I couldn't stop thinking of the first part of your post to even appreciate this beautiful building (I will return to this post just for the photos later on). It's a wonderful story, Michele!

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  14. Wow, great post! I love the photos...it looks like a very interesting place to explore. It looks like the restoration was pretty successful. This is definitely somewhere we will be planning on visiting when we make it to Malaysia. Thanks for sharing and safe travels!

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  15. Oh Michelle, the memories you have brought back with this post... you know I love Penang, right? We were hosted by a lovely friend of ours who got his driver to take us around for the day. He was a great guy called Boby, and he took us to Khoo Khongsi, where his wife also worked. I couldn't for the life of me remember the name of the place, and with this post memories came flooding back... thank you!

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  16. Michelle! I love these shots! I especially love the statues and the close ups...very cool.

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  17. The way you describe your family and their various clans, reminds me of my own family. We have a branch in Canada where I am, a couple in the US and some I think in Australia. I think there are more, but we've just lost touch. It's incredible to think about where blood relatives are based on just one individual who decided to leave home. Thanks for a great personal post and for those great photos of the clanhouse. I would love to visit Penang one day.

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  18. It is such a beautiful place! I can't believe how ornate some of the decorations are - so incredibly detailed, so colorful, I am in amazement :)

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  19. Hi Michelle, great article. I deeply admire the virtue of "clanishnes." Thanks for sharing the history of your migrating clan, how they helped out each other out and how you have remainned pretty tight up to this day it's truly touching. I have not heard of clan houses before. I think its a great testament to very stong family virtue. The grandiose of this clan house is truly impressive but what I like most about it is the Hall to the Great Prosperity where they list the achievements of family members,etc. It's a great way of keeping tab of the family root.

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  20. I love seeing all of these amazing Chinese architecture and art. That Central Hall is amazing. What a great story of your family, Michelle. My maternal great great grandfather came from China too and they formed a clan in the Philippines too and many relatives still live in the "compound. What a beautiful place and a great place to visit without the kids :-)

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  21. Hi Michelle, what a grand family you have! My wife's recently deceased grandfather used to return to China once every 5 years to visit his ancestral home. So, the family records are kept there. But I'm not sure if any of her uncles continue with the tradition.

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  22. What an incredible way to document their family history! The level of detail and intricacy that went into designing this clanhouse is phenomenal.

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  23. Meaningful article! I visited this kongsi many years back when I was working and resided in Penang. I am still at awe, by just looking at your picture.

    Chinese is an incredible habitant, imo;).

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