No Plans This Weekend? You'll Wanna Check Out Kwai Chai Hong's Mahjong Art Installation
Kwai Chai Hong will be open from 9am to 12am daily.
By Timothy Tuan — 09 Feb 2024, 01:19 PM — Updated 9 months ago
If you've yet to make plans for the weekend, here's an activity idea: Make a day (or night) trip to Petaling Street's famous Kwai Chai Hong street!
This festive season, Kwai Chai Hong is transforming its attraction into a captivating "Rise of the Dragon 蟄龍覺醒" installation, which revolves around mahjong, a highly popular tile-based game that dates back to the Qing Dynasty.
Upon entering the already magnificent Kwai Chai Hong, you'll notice the entire alley has been adorned with large hanging mahjong tiles, each embedded with different Chinese characters and symbols
There's even a mahjong table with actual tiles in one corner, so you and your friends can join the CNY festivities by snapping plenty of pictures of each other "playing" mahjong.
Kwai Chai Hong collaborated with local artists, Wong Jia Min and Lee Chaer Shean from plus + plus, to bring its CNY festive celebration to life
Based in Johor Bahru, Wong and Lee are well known for their creative contributions to architecture.
In harmony with Kwai Chai Hong's theme, plus + plus drew inspiration from the dynamic movement of reshuffling mahjong tiles.
The act of 'reshuffling' (洗牌) symbolises a fresh beginning, aligning with the essence of Chinese New Year, particularly significant in the Year of the Dragon.
According to Wong, it also symbolises prosperity, union, harmony, and peace. Now, the mahjong game set has become the centerpiece of the tourist attraction.
Meanwhile, Lee said, "The mahjong panels and wire mesh collectively craft the silhouette of a Dragon, awakening from its long slumber as winter ends and soaring through the skies, representing hope for a better and more prosperous beginning in the Year of the Dragon.
"This installation is more than an artistic display; it is a tangible representation of hope, inviting individuals to contemplate and embrace a new life chapter as they welcome the Year of the Dragon."
Zeen Chang, Managing Partner of Bai Chuan Management, remarked that Rise of the Dragon 蟄龍覺醒 is an apt name for their installation, as it represents a beast that has finally gathered renewed vitality and power after a long hibernation, and is now ready to take on the new year
"Just like how each mahjong game is played, the start of the game is where both our hands are mixing the tiles in fluid circular motions and rhythms, like the ascension of a dragon's spirit slithering awake from its slumber.
"Kwai Chai Hong is proud to embrace, preserve, and revive cultural traditions, as part of the joy of sharing unique parts of history with other Malaysians," she said.
The Rise of the Dragon 蟄龍覺醒 installation will be on display from now until 3 March
Meanwhile, Kwai Chai Hong will be open from 9am to 12am daily. Once you're done taking in the beauty of Kwai Chai Hong's CNY decor, you can head over to one of the restaurants and cafés in the alley. Check out the full list of eateries here.
