The talented Alvin Chong rose to fame as a singer and actor when he was a contestant for the singing reality show called Astro Star Quest (ASQ). Ever since after the show, he went on to work alongside notable names like Alif Star, Siti Nordiana, Isabela Vinzon and more.
However, with his success, Alvin still holds his hometown, Georgetown, Penang close to his heart and never forgets his roots. Even as an avid Tiktok user, he even documents #ExperiencePenang to his Tiktok profile. If you think Penang is all about food, think again. Here’s Alvin explaining to us on how Penang is more than meets the eye and his fondness over the TikTok app.
How long have you been on TikTok and what inspired you to try it?
I’ve always been a big fan of social media, as it always piqued my interest. Making comical and dance/song videos really highlight my personality so, with TikTok, it’s the perfect fit for me. I have been on TikTok for about a year and a half now since early 2018. For a video that is only 15 seconds long and allows me to link my other social media platforms makes it easier for me too. It allows me to distinguish between short-form content and longer-form ones, which gives my followers an option to choose which content they want to consume.
What did you enjoy most from the recent #ExperiencePenang campaign?
If you are only visiting Penang just for food, then you may miss everything else that Penang has to offer. As a Penangnite, I can tell you that there is much more to Penang than good food. The #ExperiencePenang campaign combines two of my favourite things to do, which are travel and food. I thoroughly enjoy creating videos that are funny, engaging and witty using Chinese and Malay songs to complement my travel videos of my favourite places to visit in Penang.
If you were to describe Penang in a sentence, what would it be?
As a Penangite, I can safely say that it is impossible to summarize the beauty of Penang into a single sentence. To me, Penang holds precious moments as I was growing up, memories with my family and friends that I will cherish for a lifetime. Marry that with the Penang, I know now and you have an amalgamation of good eats, hidden gems shared with the one’s dearest to me.
Can you share some of the go-to places or hotspots for people to use TikTok (photo slideshow/videos) while they are in Penang, and what would be your top 5 spots to visit in Penang?
As for different people, every experience is unique. Since Penang is my hometown, I have a different set of memories too! From rows upon rows of heritage buildings and houses to mouth-watering street food, Penang has something for everyone.
Here are some of the top 5 places you can visit while you’re in Penang
A. The Top Komtar Penang
Komtar Penang, also known as the icon of Penang is the tallest building in Georgetown allowing tourists to experience the whole of Penang with a bird’s eye view their Rainbow Skywalk and Observatory Deck. Located at the 68th floor, it is definitely one of the most strategic spots to view the whole of George Town at its peak, not to mention the experience of walking on air as it is 249m above ground.
Play Hide&Seek With The Street murals of Penang
Street Art in Georgetown – Penang Street Art, and in particular George Town Street Art, has in the past few years enhanced its position as the street art capital of the country. This began with Marking George Town in 2009, and this showcase has successfully brought crowds of people waiting to have their photo taken in front of the wall paintings.
Embark on a Food Marathon
The streets of Penang city is often regarded as a food paradise mainly because of its diversity in ethnicity, culture and religion. Due to that fact, people from around the world often visit Penang to celebrate and experience the variety, be it street or hawker food. With the never-ending variety of food here, it is nearly impossible to find a store that will disappoint you.
Beautify Your Life With Butterflies
The Penang Butterfly Farm, aptly rebranded to Entopia Penang, is an attraction that
encapsulates the voices of nature within its botany covered dome. The entire structure is divided into two main sectors: The Natureland, is a vivarium shared harmoniously by the invertebrates and reptiles who cohabitate in the intricately designed ecological space; and The Cocoon, a two-story learning exhibition with a plethora of fun activities and opportunities for visitors to learn about how our natural environment sustains itself.
The Colors of Georgetown, Penang
Located near the New World Park, next to Burmah Road are rows of renovated remodelled houses in beautiful designs and colours. They have been turned into chic restaurants, pubs and quaint businesses that have their own unique architectural features revealing the influence of Chinese and European styles.
In your opinion, what’s the coolest thing on the TikTok app for you?
I personally love the wide range of songs I can choose on the platform, as has always been my passion. But then you couple that passion with really innovative features like augmented reality animations and stickers, and it brings your content to a whole new level.
TikTok is unique also because it is specifically tailored to make short-format videos and editing them such a joy, thanks to it’s simple and easy to use features, providing a direct way for creators and fans to connect.
Why do you think people should try the TikTok app more?
What I really like about TikTok is that the platform almost magically understands user
behaviour but it’s actually its machine learning technology. It takes into account Millennials and Gen Z consumption preferences, which gives rise to extremely interactive challenges and trending topics that anyone can participate in.
To follow more on Alvin Chong adventures, you can follow him on Instagram here: alvinchong123.