ALOR SETAR: The San Sheng Welfare Organisation's Cultural Heritage Village here, which reopens tomorrow, is expected to enliven the Chinese New Year celebration, especially for the Chinese community in the state.

The village, which is decorated with various Chinese cultural features, will serve as the destination for the Chinese community to gather and spend time with family and friends, especially to celebrate the new year.

Alor Setar San Sheng Welfare Organisation chairman Ong Soon Boon said the heritage village, which had been closed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the floods, would reopen for 15 days from tomorrow until the eve of the Chap Goh Mei festival.

He said the association had been decorating the 9,000 square foot village with various cultural elements since two weeks ago.

"We want this place to be a destination for tourist in Kedah," he said, adding that the village was opened in 2010.

"This year, we are reopening some parts of the village to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) to prevent the spread of COVID-19," he said when met by reporters here.

Despite having to close some parts of the village for visitors, he said, there were still 75 'spots' decorated with various cultural elements, as well as art, flowers and various types of lightings, that would provide interesting and attractive locations for visitors to take pictures, especially at night.

Meanwhile, the permanent adviser of the Alor Setar San Sheng Welfare Organisation, Pang Hu Kong said apart from highlighting the Chinese cultural arts, the village also displayed the cultural aspects of other races including Malays, Indians and Siamese.

"This cultural village, not only features Chinese culture, but also of other races, and in Kedah, we also have the Siamese," he said, adding that in compliance with the SOP, only 400 people would be allowed in the village at one time.

-- BERNAMA