Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi () is a

Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...

clan house at Beach Street in George Town, Penang,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. It was founded in the early 19th century by a Tan family from the Fujian province of Zhangzhou in China. The building is a place of worship devoted to Kai Zhang Sheng Wang (開漳聖王; ) or '' Tan Goan-kong'' (陳元光), the founder of

Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefect ...

, and his two deputies, Generals ''Fushun'' and ''Fusheng''. It was also the ancestral temple of Tan clansmen for the purposes of cultural integration. Members of the Tan family worship their ancestor, Tan Guan Kong. Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi (Interior)

This ''

Kongsi Kongsi () is a Hokkien transcription term meaning "company", especially businesses which have been incorporated. However, the word has other meanings under different historical contexts. ''Kongsi'' were most commonly known as Chinese social organ ...

'' represents what locals consider to be one of the ‘Big Five' clan surnames in Penang. Founded under the name ''Tan Seng Ong Kongsi'', it is claimed by its owners to be the oldest clan house in Penang. The clan house and its associated residences form a culturally embedded Seh Tan Court. In 1941, from the start of the Japanese Occupation, many historic relics vanished, and activities were suspended except for Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. In recent years, clan members have attended two annual ceremonies of

ancestral worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

. In the early 1900s, a Tan Si School was established, which was later renamed Eng Chuan School. It was one of several schools in Penang which taught

Confucian classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...

as a main part of the curriculum. The main structure was erected in 1878, then renovated in the late 1940s, and again in the 1990s. The building is located at number 28 Seh Tan Court, George Town (off Beach Street).

References

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External links

Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi page on penang365.com
Religious buildings and structures in Penang Buildings and structures in George Town, Penang Tourist attractions in George Town, Penang