ABOUT 200 people attended a Chinese New Year event featuring the sharing of traditional food in Ipoh last Saturday.

Jointly organised by the Perak Chinese Women Association and 20 other Chinese clans non-governmental organisations on Friday, there were more than 90 traditional dishes prepared for the night.

Most of the recipes were handed down from generations to generations and continued to be preserved by the respective family members.

The food was shared between the various association members after the opening ceremony by International Trade and Industry Minister II Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.

“In its heyday when Perak was rich with tin, its workers could spend their wages on food and other services.

“After the tin industry collapsed, they went abroad or outstation to find work,” he said, adding that the trend continued until today.

“I really hope to see Perak return to its glory days where people will come back here to work,” he added.

Ong urged the organiser to plan for a bigger event in the future to include the younger generation.

“The younger people should partake so they can know and learn about traditional food,” he said.

-The Star-