Chinese Clan Houses

There are five great Hokkein clans that formed the backbone of early Penang: Cheah , Khoo, Yeoh, Lim, Tan. Between the mid-1800s and the mid-1900s Penang welcomed a huge influx of Chinese immigrants primarily from the Fujian province of China. In order to help introduce uncles, aunties, cousins, 10th cousins, old neighborhood buddies and so on to their new home, the Chinese formed clan associations and built clan houses to create a sense of community, provide lodging, help find employment, and more, for newcomers. In the associated temples the clan would worship patron deities.

As time went on, many clan associations became extremely prosperous and their buildings grew to be more and more ornate. Clans began to compete with each other over the decadence and number of their temples. Thanks to this rivalry, today's Penang has a one of the densest concentration of clan architecture found outside of China.