GEORGE TOWN, Jan 21 — Chinese New Year is just days and the Chinese community are rushing to prepare for the festive season, often flocking malls and markets to get new clothes, groceries and cookies.
Just a week after everyone celebrated entering 2020, most major shopping malls in Penang took down their Christmas decorations and replaced it with bright, oriental-themed decorations for Chinese New Year.
Red is often a main theme in most of these decorations and this included red lanterns strung across many streets on the island and mainland by various organisations.
Here are some of the shopping malls in Penang that have been decorated with colours of the season.
Gurney Plaza
One of the first shopping malls to launch its Chinese New Year theme and decorations is Gurney Plaza with its Rhythm of Lights theme.
The mall transformed its centre atrium into a colourful street complete with a 12-feet interactive tram, a rickshaw, neon lights, cherry blossoms and a pink diner, all reminiscent of a 1920s Shanghai.
Just around the corner, along the extension wing walkway, shoppers can enjoy a collection of spring flowers as part of a Spring Festival which formed part of the Chinese New Year decorations in the mall.
Events have been lined up in the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year including acrobatic lion dance performances and 24 Seasons drums performances.
Gurney Paragon
Shanghai seemed to be a popular theme as next door, Gurney Paragon, has also put up decorations reminiscent of Old Shanghai.
Themed, The Beginning of a Lunar Journey, the mall concentrated on recreating the Garden of Old Shanghai that combines all the senses to provide a different experience for shoppers.
Sounds of birds chirping, like in a verdant garden, filled the air while peony blossoms decorating the main atrium emits a flowery fragrance.
The mall has also organised a list of events leading up to the festive season that included appearances by God of Prosperity, a dragon and phoenix dance, calligraphy workshops and even dumpling making demonstrations.
Queensbay Mall
Over on the southern side of Penang island, Queensbay Mall went on an entirely different theme to transform its main central atrium into a “Majestic Ocean Palace” complete with giant bubbles, seashells, pearls, a sea turtle and crabs.
Two grand dragons, with mist curling out from their mouths, guard the entrance to the palace while the Hai Gui (sea turtle) stood in one corner to symbolize a joyous family reunion and a giant shell with a pearl stood at the Shellie Shallow corner.
There’s a Crabie Deep corner featuring crabs, a Fishie Sunken corner where shoppers can look out for lucky fishes and the Jelly Hollow with jellyfishes.
Similarly, the mall has also lined up events over the next two weekends such as dragon dance, creative mask changing performance, traditional dance performances and a dragon emperors performance.
Sunway Carnival
In Seberang Jaya, on the mainland side of the state, Sunway Carnival offers up the “Bank of Luck” with an elaborate showcase of a charming Chinese garden centred around an oriental pavilion.
A giant húlu (gourd) which symbolises good luck and fortune sits in the concourse while cherry blossoms, bamboo trees and red lanterns decorated the garden.
There was even an indoor playground for children incorporated into the decorations.
“To celebrate the Lunar new Year this round, we have curated this distinctive concept to convey our well wishes to our shoppers in hope that our shoppers will be endowed with good luck, good health and good wealth while enjoying a rich and wholesome year ahead from our Bank of Luck,” said the mall general manager Chai Wen Yew on the mall’s theme.
There will be lion dance performances, fan painting workshops, God of Prosperity workshops and even free tarot card readings in the coming weekends.
