Penang has retained a curious custom traditionally conducted on the 15th day of the New Year. In order to find a partner, young and unmarried people throw tangerines into the sea, these days from the 13km-long Penang Bridge. At one time young women wrote their names on the fruit, hoping an unmarried fisherman would come searching for them...

The great spectacles of Chinese New Year, such as the lion dance, are also featured in Penang. Two light-footed dancers, wearing lion outfits and painted red masks with clackety-clack jaws, take to the streets mesmerising passers-by with their nimble steps and spectacular costumes. In Penang, huge sticks of incense are burnt and firecrackers here are definitely legal! During the first two weeks of Chinese New Year, you won't be able to miss the music and dancing in all of the city's Chinese neighbourhoods.