FOUNDED in 1832, the Penang Goldsmith Association or Penang Ta Kam Hong at Lebuh Muntri is the biggest and oldest Chinese goldsmith association in Malaysia. The members are mostly goldsmiths of Cantonese descent from the Guangdong province in southern China, who migrated to Penang in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Common to most trade associations that began in the 19th century, the guild features within its premises a temple. It was built to honour Voo Cheng, the patron deity of goldsmiths. The association moved to its current location in 1904 after moving twice before.

The temple consists of three sections. A main grilled entrance is followed by the main hall where the altar of Voo Cheng is situated while the back of the hall is reserved for ancestral worship. "Like the Carpenters’ Guild, the artisans belonging to the Goldsmiths’ Guild also hail from Toi Shan district in Guangdong province and speak the Sinling dialect. Both guild temples reflect a kind of Cantonese style architecture, which had developed in colonial urban settings." (Penang Heritage Trail)

Reference

• Penang Heritage Trail Route 2: Goldsmiths’ Guild a.k.a Ta Kam Hong (Penang Heritage Trail)

Related links

• Panorama of Goldsmith's Guild, Muntri Street, Penang (Peter Loud)

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