Tan Tong Tong 陳同同 Mandolin Man Mural

Tan Tong Tong Mural (30 August 2014)


Tan Tong Tong Mural is a mural commemorating Penang's famous Chinese mandolin man, the late Tan Tong Tong, who name also appeared as Tan Tan Thong. The mural graces the backwall of Delta office supplies company, and was sponsored Lions Club.

Perhaps the most famous itinerant bard to ply the streets of George Town, Tan Tong Tong gained wider following when he began appearing on radio. Tan had one-hour programs of old Hokkien songs on Redifusion Malaysia three times a week. He also had a half-hour programme on Radio Malaya.

In addition to strumming his Chinese mandolin, called Yueqin (月琴), Tan was also a fortune teller. This seemed to be the trade at that time, for Yueqin-strumming fortune tellers to ply their trade in Penang, while singing songs and rhymes in literary Hokkien (as opposed the colloquial Hokkien spoken in the streets).

Tan Tong Tong was certainly not the only itinerant bard on the streets of George Town. There were a few others, among them Lee Boon Lian, who also mentored another bard, Teoh Jin Hoe, one of the last mandolin men of the city. Another was Oh Bah, whose name means "dark boy" due to his dark complexion, who also sang to the accompaniment of the mandolin on Rediffision.

An article on Teoh Jin Hoe, one of the last Chinese mandolin men in Penang, appearing in the New Straits Times in 1987 (3 August 2014)

Getting there

The Tan Tong Tong Mural is located at the backlane of Delta Office. The backlane connects to Pitt Street, between the Bank Negara Malaysia building and Gnext AIA Building. Go down the lane and you will see the mural on the backwall, to your right.

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