2024 MARKS THE 10-year milestone for new and mid-generation cultural workers in Penang. The new generation are the pioneering creative businesses, while the mid-generation have come to terms with the reality that traditional arts face low recognition and support. However, what they have managed to accomplish is a unique confidence in Penang’s Chinese community; they have carefully and firmly rooted themselves here, writing chapters in its art history.

Though Taiwan and Penang are important centres of Chinese culture, their developmental trajectories show significant differences. Taiwan, a predominantly Han Chinese society, has a relatively homogeneous cultural inheritance. Penang, however, is a multicultural society with the Chinese making up approximately 50% of the population, coexisting with the Malays, Indians and other ethnic groups. This socio-environmental difference has led to distinct characteristics in craft inheritance between the two locations.

A specialist from George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) Cultural Heritage Research and Development, Ng Xin Yi commented that Taiwan is more homogeneous with many religious buildings, ancestral halls, family temples and Minnan-style (Southern Fujianese) architecture. In Malaysia, “Chinese architecture” is not as numerous. “As the Chinese ethnic group in Malaysia is a minority, so both resources and demand are different from Taiwan, making it difficult to form an industry, and even harder to expect the government to promote connections between academia and industry.”

That said, Penang’s Chinese community has preserved a large number of traditional buildings, providing a unique physical medium for local craft inheritance. Penang architect Ooi Bok Kim points out that “Penang’s streets themselves are living museums; every old building requires the participation of traditional craft artists to maintain its vitality.” In contrast, Taiwan’s urbanisation process has been more rapid, but these artists have created spaces for survival through diverse channels.

Evolution of the Identity of Craft Artisans

Traditionally, craft artists were often viewed as “skilled workers” with low social status—their individual reputations typically subsumed within collective craftsmanship. When we stare in admiration at old church spires and the ornate fresco paintings; when we stand in awe at intricate rooftop designs and symmetry in Chinese temples, we are aware that they were created by craftspeople, but most of the time, we do not know their names. Fortunately, the identity of contemporary craft artists is undergoing a complex transformation, they are now regarded as “artists”—this time around, we learn their names and the title of their works.

With “artistization”, many craft artists are moving towards individual creativity, positioning themselves as artists rather than mere technical inheritors. Kenny Loh’s story is particularly remarkable—of Penang Baba Nyonya descent, he transitioned from nutrition to fashion design, mastering Nyonya embroidery through self-learning. He is now a fashion designer dedicated to preserving Baba Nyonya culture. When it comes to tradition and innovation, he states that those who inherit these intangible heirlooms “must change with the times”. He explains that since Zheng He arrived on the shores of Penang during the Ming Dynasty, initiating the Baba Nyonya generation, until now, “we have been progressing with the times”.

Then there is a strengthening of the “cultural guardian” role—more of these artisans are recognising their role in cultural inheritance. Tong Wing Cheong, a wood carver at Keng Hwa Carving Studio says, “If we all wait for government support, culture and craft skills would have already have disappeared. So, it is better to take initiative and see if we can make a living from it.” The phrase “If we don’t do it, no one will” was verbalised independently by craft artists in both Taiwan and Penang on several occasions during my interviews with them, revealing a core transformation in craft artists’ identity—from anonymous technical practitioners to cultural guardians with a clear mission.

Third is the emergence of the “educator” identity, where artists assume educational roles for knowledge transmission. Teochew Puppet and Opera House director Goh Ling believes that “traditional opera will never disappear, whether it is Teochew opera, Hokkien opera, Cantonese opera, or any other type. I guide young people to experience Teochew opera through interest classes and school extracurricular activities, actively cultivating the next generation of inheritors.”

Policy Differences In Craft Inheritance

Unlike Penang, the Taiwanese government invests substantial resources in cultural heritage protection—the Ministry of Culture is responsible for arts and cultural development, and operates the Bureau of Cultural Heritage. Systems have been established for preserving important skills, including the designation of “Important Traditional Arts Preservers” (or “Living National Treasures”). This has made the inheritance of traditional crafts relatively stable in Taiwan, with craft artists receiving more institutional recognition.

In contrast, the Penang state government’s cultural policy places greater emphasis on tourism and creative economy. GTWHI’s Ng candidly states that, “In developing countries like Malaysia, ‘culture’ often needs to be combined with economically beneficial themes such as tourism in order to have a chance of entering the centre of the government agenda.” She further explains that in the State’s administrative structure, departmental names reveal that tourism economics and creative economics have taken precedence over arts and cultural heritage.

Inheritance Challenges and Development Recommendations

In Penang, several specific architectural decorative skills are now mastered by fewer than five elderly craft artists. Although Taiwan has a more comprehensive protection system, it similarly faces the risk of a broken chain of inheritance. Also, younger generations generally show low interest in traditional crafts; craft acquisition requires long-term commitment with uncertain economic returns, making it difficult to attract young people to fully engage.

Tan, who strives to improve this situation, organises training courses for contractors, architects and government officials, emphasising that education is crucial to overcoming misconceptions about cultural heritage preservation and bridging the gap between traditional experience-based knowledge and modern scientific methods. He also acknowledges the challenges of cultivating new local craftspeople, as economic instability makes it difficult to attract young people into the industry. Therefore, he suggests establishing a mentorship programme that allows experienced restorers to bring in apprentices, and for them to receive certification (similar to Taiwan’s “Skill Preservation” system), requiring contractors to employ certified traditional craft artists for heritage restoration projects.

Taiwan’s government has established laws and regulations defining what items should be preserved, as well as the methods for preservation. After these regulations are established, industries and academia are encouraged to implement them together.

There are two methods: First, industry masters guide students in academia; second, industry masters offer classes. In all these, the government provides financial subsidies. However, the effectiveness of short-term workshops and community courses is limited. Long-term implementation is necessary to retain young people and allow them to deeply learn these skills, in order to achieve the purpose of preserving traditional crafts.

Hope In Penang

Penang possesses excellent geographical conditions and a rich cultural context. Achieving a balance between “tourism economy” and “cultural preservation” is indeed something worth our constant attention. When balanced well, we can effectively utilise tourism to achieve cultural preservation.

• Develop diverse inheritance models: Traditional apprenticeship systems can be combined with modern school education to form more inclusive knowledge transmission systems. In Penang, short-term workshops and community courses can lower participation thresholds and expand craft influence.

• Expand traditional craft markets: This is key to ensuring sustainable development. Both Penang and Taiwan need cross-disciplinary collaboration to create economic value, stabilise craftspeople’s income and cultivate more young talent.

• Establish youth training mechanisms: Provide scholarships, set up dedicated studios and create exhibition platforms for young people entering the field to nurture a new generation of craft inheritors. Penang has not lost its essence; culture flows with time.

However, the question on how to preserve and pass down knowledge is something we need to reflect upon so the intangible heritage of Penang will not wither, leaving Penang a tourist trap and an “empty shell”.