GEORGE TOWN, July 7 — As George Town celebrates the sixth anniversary of its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng reminded everyone of the importance of the intangible heritage that gives the city its soul.
The Penang lawmaker called on the public to support local handicrafts especially the traditional ones that are in danger of dying out.
“The uniqueness of George Town is not only its heritage buildings but also its living legacies that must be preserved and promoted,” he said at the opening of the George Town Heritage Celebrations themed “Living Legacies” this morning.
He said the traditional handicraft of George Town not only served as a cultural heritage but is also a potential tourism product that can draw tourists and spur the state’s economy.
“This is why we need to step up efforts to promote the uniqueness of our local traditional craftsmen domestically and also internationally,” he said.
“I believe that our local traditional handicraft have the potential to be marketed locally and internationally.”
This is why this year’s heritage celebrations are focused on the living legacies of the city, he added.
“We should be grateful that we still have many practising traditional craftsmen in George Town, so to keep these living legacies alive, Penangites should support them by using local handmade crafts for their daily lives at home, as decorative items or at work,” Lim said.
He noted that neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar are proud of their local handicraft so Penang should also emulate them.
The two-day George Town heritage celebrations started yesterday with a showcase of traditional handicraft through free mini workshops for the public.
The handicraft workshops featured crafts such as rattan weaving, flower garland making, Nyonya beading, dough figurine making, kite making, wood carving, ketupat weaving, Islamic calligraphy and many more.
Today, 10 houses of worship including clan associations, churches, temples and mosques within the heritage enclave opened their doors to the public with guided tours of the premises.
