Ancestor traced!!!

*yawns*...ahh, im back to blogging finally after a long break from CNY. Nothing much to share of my CNY, it's just like every year's eating and eating and visiting each other houses & of course collecting ang pows, the best part of it.. hehe... & my ang pows are not as much as previous years, only reached RM300+ so far (economic recession leh). Or else I would get RM400+ and above usually. Ok, ok...stop the whining, i should be grateful for having that much of amount & keep my mouth shut.

Last night while talking to my aunties, cousies & grandma, i've found out something of my ancestor. I would say i was stunned by the fact that i am somehow connect to one of the richest chinese clan in Malaya, the Khoo Kongsi (aiyo, but im not that rich lar now). I was made to known that my great grandma whom is my grandma's mother was one of the Khoos & what further amazed me was the fact that my grandma grew up in the clan complex which is situated in Penang. It is still well preserved and maintained as a historical site especially now Penang has been declared as one of the World's Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The Khoo is well known worldwide for its extensive lineage that can be traced back 650 years, as well as its closely-knit and defensive congregation of buildings and a magnificent clanhouse

Khoo is the family name while Kongsi means clan (family) house. They are one of the earliest Chinese came to Penang. The Khoo family that built this Kongsi came originally from Sin Kang village in the Hokkien province of China and began migrating overseas in the 16th century. They arrived in Penang sometime in the late 18th century. By 1835 their numbers were large enough that they formed a clan group and purchased the land and building for the first Kongsi.

The Khoo Kongsi

The Khoo complex was believed due to its resemblance to the Emperor's palace, it was burnt down strucked by lightning in 1894. Later on a much scaled-down one was built in 1902. the complex boasts a magnificent hall embellished with intricate carvings and richly ornamented beams of the finest wood bearing the mark of master craftsmen from China.

The main entrance with intricate carvings

This magnificient complex is hidden amidst the crowded rows of terrace houses and shop houses in Georgetown. Before you can see it standing majestically on the granite square you need to walk through an alley between two rows of 19th century terrace houses and bypass the opera stage. It was well hidden because the Khoos are well protected during the 20th century gang war as not many able to find this hidden complex. There are actually 3 entrance to this complex.

Let me take you around and see.....

An Opera Stage

Main entrance at Cannon Street

Side entrance at Armenian Street

Rear entrance at Beach Street

Very detailed and intricate of craftmanship

The excitement didnt just end here as i was further told that my great grandpa was once knighted by the Queen of Britain in during the 19th century (Queen Victoria i supposed). I was like wow, knighted by the Queen of England wei. He was given a golden sword or a golden stick (not so sure), which whenever he took it out, everyone would bow to him, even the Chief Judge had to bow to him... Wah lao eh(OMG/WTH)...so cool heh..

Haha, one day i will trace back my family tree when i got the time. Who knows i could be sharing the same bloodline with.....

Sammi Cheng? (ahhh, my all time fav singer)


Harwick Lau? (TVB actor)

Hu Jintao? (President of China)

mwahahahaha.....

*snap*

stop dreaming...

Lol...im quite well known for my sometimes perasan-ness(self praising) among my friends...

So what? It's my blog...If you go "eeee...., aiyyerrrrr..., omg, so perasan....", i would adivse you to quietly leave this page. But by the time you're reading this, it's too late... hahaha