South-East Asia Destination

By: Naveen Marasinghe

Khoo Khongsi is also known as Leong San Tong Khoo Khongsi. Khoo is the ‘name of the family’ while Khongsi means ‘family house’ and Khoo Khongsi is one of the most important and outstanding Chinese clan associations that arrived in the beautiful Penang, Malaysia.

This unique Chinese clan is well known across the world mainly due to its widespread lineage that boasts a history of more than 650 years. This clan is also well known for their intimacy, defensive buildings and of course the attractive clan house.

Leong San Tong is recognised as the most imposing and grand clan house in South East Asia. It is also an important fact that the Khoo Khongsi clan was among the five major clans in the Hokkien community during the early periods of Penang. These five strong clans were known as Goh Tai Seh. The other significant clan families were Cheah, Yeoh, Lim and Tan Kongsi.

The magnificent Khoo Kongsi complex features the impressive Leong San Tong clan house, the administrative building that includes a conference hall, office space, opera stage along with a total of 62 different components of houses and shop houses. There are three streets from which to enter the complex which are Cannon Street, Beach Street and Armenian Street.

A special feature of the Khoo Kongsi complex is that it is closely knit. This is a great instance that reveals the unity of this exceptional Chinese clan association. The structure of the complex also reveals how concerned the community was about safety mainly during the 19th century British colonial rule.

From the many clan houses built right through Penang, the most attractive and appealing is Khoo Khongsi. Within this magnificent complex, visitors will find a wide range of traditional Chinese items. The best way to visit and explore the treasures of this unique clan house is to stay at a nearby well appointed Penang hotel such as Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang.

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.