THE Penang Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association and the Penang Ladies Chin Woo Athletic Association jointly held a grand dinner to celebrate their 100th-anniversary at Setia SPICE Convention Centre last night.
The celebration was made merrier by including various cultural performances, including a lion dance, dragon dance, and martial arts display.
During the dinner celebration, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow took part in the cake-cutting ceremony along with Datuk Loh Nam Hooi, the president of the Federation of Chin Woo Associations Malaysia, Loh Peng Hong, the president of the Penang Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association, and Zhou Youbin, the consul general of China in Penang, and several other dignitaries.
Thanking the organisers for inviting him to the auspicious occasion, Chow congratulated both the Penang Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association and the Penang Ladies Chin Woo Athletic Association on the occasion of their 100th anniversary.
“May you continue to flourish and achieve greater heights in the coming years,” Chow said in his brief speech.
Loh Peng Hong, the president of the Penang Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association, said since its establishment, the association has adhered to its founding mission of promoting martial arts and fostering physical, intellectual, and moral development.
In addition to the development of a healthy body, Peng Hong said his association advocates patriotism and cultivates personal integrity, and justice to achieve the ideal of a prosperous and peaceful society.
He added that through the hard work of their predecessors and the efforts and management of the current board, the association has become what it is today.
“Since its establishment, our association has not only promoted martial arts to strengthen the nation and its people but has also contributed to charitable and public welfare activities, earning recognition and praise from the community.
“Our association has found joy in doing good deeds. In the past, we have performed martial arts demonstrations at charity fairs to raise funds for the Lam Wah Ee Hospital in Penang. We have also raised funds for Han Chiang High School, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College Penang Branch, Phei Shin Primary School in Jelutong, and even for the Fatimah Hospital in Ipoh.
“The centennial history of our association is not the end but a new beginning. We must remember history, learn from its wisdom, and strive to promote Chinese martial arts, perseverance, and innovation.
“I hope everyone will continue to move forward, constantly challenge themselves, surpass limits, and let the glory of the association continue to shine in the new century,” Peng Hong said in his speech.
Datuk Loh Nam Hooi, the president of the Federation of Chin Woo Associations Malaysia, said it was not only a historic occasion for Penang Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association and Penang Ladies Chin Woo Athletic Association to celebrate their 100th anniversary but that they would continue to write new and glorious chapters.
He said Chin Woo athletic association places greater emphasis on cultivating well-rounded, cultured, and responsible members who uphold martial virtues and promote the Chin Woo spirit.
Earlier in the day, both associations, together with the Ipoh Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association, and the Federation of Chin Woo Associations Malaysia, co-hosted the 17th World Chin Woo Martial Arts Cultural Conference.
The five-day conference, held from July 19 to 21 in Penang, will be followed by the centennial celebration of the Ipoh Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association in Ipoh from July 22nd to 23rd.
These events attracted representatives from over 20 countries, with nearly 600 participants from Chin Woo associations worldwide, setting a new record.
Chin Woo was founded by the famous Chinese martial artist, Huo Yuanjia, in Shanghai in 1910. Today, it has spread worldwide, with 77 Chin Woo organisations.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian