Ever since George Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7th July 2008,George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) has organised an annual celebration to commemorate this special date and draw attention to a particular aspect of George Town’s heritage. 2017 is no different, and this year the theme is “Walk the Talk: Oral Traditions and Expressions”.
George Town Heritage Celebrations 2017 will share stories, life experiences and oral traditions from the diverse range of local communities (including Malay, Gujarati, Indian Muslim, Nattukottai Nagarathar, Malayali, Teochew, Hainanese, Hokkien, Hindu, Siamese, Sikhs and Telugu). A number of different events have been organised to do this.
Walky Talky George Town is a heritage trail, being held on Friday July 7th, conducted in Mandarin at 9am and English at 10am. It takes in Chowrasta Market, Campbell Street and Penang Bazaar, the golden triangle of George Town. It is the core region of business activities, and walk participants will visit the newly restored market, and learn about the traditional trades in that area. The cost is RM 30, and registration is essential, before July 1st, at https://event.howei.com/event/george-town-heritage-celebrations
Discover Our Oral Traditions is a series of Open Houses, held at six different places of worship from different religions, to introduce people to the dos and don’ts, the customs and the backgrounds of the traditions followed. The Open Houses are free of charge, but prior registration is essential, using the links below:
July 7 (Fri) | 2.30pm- 4.00pm | St. George’s Church
https://goo.gl/forms/
July 8 (Sat) | 10.30am-12.00pm | Wadda Gurdwara Sahib
https://goo.gl/forms/
July 8 (Sat) | 2.30pm-4.00pm | Masjid Lebuh Acheh
https://goo.gl/forms/Qj7kCtgNyrOyMBjg1
July 8 (Sat) | 5.00pm-6.30pm | Masjid Kapitan Keling
https://goo.gl/forms/
July 9 (Sun) | 2.30pm-4.00pm | Kong Hock Keong Kuan Imm Teng
https://goo.gl/forms/
July 9 (Sun) | 5.00pm-6.30pm | Sri Mahamariammam Temple
https://goo.gl/forms/
The Street Festival, on Saturday July 8th, the George Town World Heritage Site will be abuzz with workshops, 
performances and cultural shows in the various languages of the traditional communities. Everyone is invited to join in, reading community sayings and proverbs, singing folk songs and nursery rhymes, speaking to the communities about their stories and memories and writing their own name in Gujarati, Jawi, Malayalam, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and more. The Festival will run from 5pm until 10pm. All activities are free of charge and no registration is required. There are various performances taking place on stages in Armenian Park and Kampung Kolam. The schedule is below:
The Interactive Heritage Game: The Forgotten Memoirs, is a leisurely and fun way to discover the hidden features, secrets and stories of George Town. Teams of 2 to 4 people are invited to register at the cost of RM100 per team. The game takes place on Sunday 9th July from 8.30am until 12.30pm. Prior registration is needed, via https://event.howei.com/event/george-town-heritage-celebrations
And finally, the George Town Heritage Celebrations Exhibition will showcase more than thirty examples of oral traditions and expressions from the various communities and groups that are participating in the celebrations. It is open to everyone and no prior registration is necessary.
Further details and updates on the events can be found at https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeTownCelebrations/