CHINESE surnames have significant value and are a blueprint of the ancestors, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“There are many Chinese surname organisations. These are the places for the younger generation to seek their roots and understand the significance of their surnames.
“There were traces of roots being left by ancestors as early as the 1740s.
“After more than 200 years, many cultural relics are being left today. The descendants have the opportunity to learn and value various cultural values,” he said during the 10th Symposium of Chinese Clans in South East Asia + China cum International Youth Forum at St Giles The Wembley Hotel today.
The event, which had been halted for the past three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has attracted participants across the region.
Chow said it was important to encourage the younger generation to see the importance of inheriting cultural practices.
“We are proud to host this large-scale international conference, thanks to the hard work of everyone.
“I hope that the participants who attended the event will be benefited from the conference,” he said.
Chow also said Penang is a strategic place for investment, tourism, medical treatment, food, and cultural diversity.
Among those present were state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee, Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi, Penang Chinese Clan Association Council chairman Leong Keng Fei and Southeast Asia Chinese Clan Association secretary-general Dr Kitti Ittiphakorn.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud