An Ancient Art Form that Continues to Inspire
By Ooi Kok Chuen
May 2016 PENANG PALETTE
When Deng Xiaoping visited Malaysia, he was said to have remarked that the spice-enriched Malaysian “Peking Duck” concoction was better than Beijing’s signature fare, then unadulterated for centuries. That was in 1978, before Deng’s phenomenal modernisation transformed China into the economic powerhouse it is today and it was exulting again in its worldfamous cuisine.Urban legend or not, adaptations can certainly spice up a cultural item. Parallels in other fields can certainly be noted. In the world of art, for example,...
Ooi Kok Chuen
is an art-writer and journalist, and the author of MAHSURI: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing), an adult contemporary fantasy “movel” (a novel conceived as a mock movie) spun from a local legend.
