GEORGE TOWN: Thousands thronged Padang Kota Lama here to celebrate the 2020 Malaysia Chinese New Year Open House here tonight.
The ceremony was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
It was also attended by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi, Health Minister Datuk Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow as well as other state leaders.
The celebration, organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, was held in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020) campaign.
The highlight of the event was a ‘yee sang’ or prosperity toss by honorary guests, ushering in a prosperous new year of the ‘Golden Rat’ based on the Chinese zodiac calendar.
Visitors were also entertained by various Chinese cultural performances, lion and dragon dances, as well as performances by local artistes such as Masya Masyitah, Fuying & Sam, Graldine Gan and Azmir Arif.