Cheah Kongsi is one of the most charming clan houses tucked away in a hidden recess of George Town. I shot the above photograph of it for AsiaExplorers and Penang Travel Tips during the annual Chinese New Year open house. The Cheah Kongsi ancestral temple of Sek Tong Seah @ Sek Tong Cheah Si Seh Tek Tong @ Cheah Si Hock Haw Kong Kongsi is one of the less known but no less significant member of the Armenian Street Heritage Enclave. To reach it, pass through an ornate archway, through a narrow passageway, and you will find the ancestral temple located in a pleasant courtyard facing the east.
View of Cheah Kongsi in Penang.
Although there is no record to show what year the Cheah Kongsi was founded, based on the title deeds, it can be deduced that the kongsi was founded somewhere before the year 1820, making it the oldest of the five major Hokkien clan associations in Penang, the others being the Khoo, Yeoh, Lim and Tan clan associations. The founder is attributed to be one Cheah Yam. Between then and 1858, the association acquired several pieces of land. The one on which the clan temple now stands was acquired in 1858 at Armenian Street. It took 15 years to build.
Within the halls of the Cheah Kongsi temple are the two main deities of the Cheahs. They were in fact extinguished generals who were bestowed the title of "Marquis" or "Hock Haw".
Origin of the Cheah Clan in Penang
It was tough life for the inhabitants of the coastal regions of China during the turbulent years between the tail end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and during the early years of Qing (1644-1911). Countless mainlanders from the coastal provinces of Guangdong (Kwangtung) and Fujian (Hokkien) left their homeland in search of better lives elsewhere. For many, the destination is the Nanyang (Southern Seas), places like Siam, Sumatra and of course, Malaya.
When the Cheahs first arrived in Penang, they settled in the Bagan Dalam area of Butterworth (Bagan Dalam). From there, they gradually shifted across the channel to make their home in George Town, where there was better business opportunities. To consolidate their resources and look into the welfare of their fellow clansmen, they established the Cheah Kongsi, and named it after their ancestral village of Sek Tong Seah, which is located in the Hai Teng District of Zhang Zhou prefecture of Fujian Provinde, in the present designated Development Zone of Hai Chang, opposite Xiamen.
As with the other clan associations, the Cheah Kongsi provided accommodation as well as financial aid to the new arrivals of the Cheah clan until they found employment and can then contribute to the guild. Along with that are other objectives of the association, including the worship of their patron saint, Hock Haw Kong, the worship of their ancestors, the provision of educational aid to the children of clan members, and to provide subsistence allowance to widows of Cheah clansmen.
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