.jpg)
By Mihar Dias November 2025
There’s a saying we’ve all heard before: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” It’s a timeless piece of advice — a gentle reminder to respect local customs, cultures, and, well, walls.
But apparently, for one spirited tourist from mainland China, the saying got lost somewhere between Chongqing and Chew Jetty.
Because when in Penang, she decided to do as pandas do — leave her mark.
Now, for those unfamiliar with Chew Jetty, it’s a living piece of Penang’s history — a floating village where generations of Chinese settlers built homes on stilts and artists later added murals that turned the place into an Instagram darling. WeirdKaya
But this visitor, armed with brushes and bravado, apparently saw it as her own personal art gallery.
Spotting a mural of a woman on a scooter, she did what any self-proclaimed artist-slash-influencer might do — she added a panda.
Because, you know, pandas make everything better. Murals. Diplomacy. Soft power. What’s next — pandas on the Penang ferry?
To her credit, she documented the entire escapade on Xiaohongshu, China’s answer to Instagram, where she proudly showcased her “collaboration” with the unknown muralist of Chew Jetty. . WeirdKaya
The only small hiccup? A local resident politely told her “Cannot.” Not once, but repeatedly.
But art, as we know, knows no borders — or boundaries, or permission slips. So she brushed him off (literally and figuratively) and continued painting, blissfully unaware that she was fast becoming Penang’s most wanted muralist.
By the end of her masterpiece, she’d successfully completed a panda, taken a selfie, and — most impressively — managed to unite Malaysians online in rare agreement: everyone thought she was dead wrong.
“So disrespectful. This is Malaysia, not Chengdu!” one netizen wrote. Another lamented that “an artist should know how to respect another artist’s work.” . WeirdKaya
Some even cited local laws she may have violated — the kind that could earn her a fine, or even a free “staycation” courtesy of the Malaysian judiciary.
To be fair, she probably thought she was doing something wonderful — adding a touch of Chinese cuteness to Penang’s rustic charm. But that’s the thing about cultural appreciation: it becomes appropriation the moment you pick up a brush that isn’t yours.
Penang’s street art tells stories — of fishermen, trishaws, children playing with cats — each with its own soul and significance. They’re not blank canvases waiting for visitors to “improve.”
Imagine if Malaysians went to Chengdu and started painting durians on the pandas. We’d be on CCTV (and not the Chinese kind) before the first spike was dry.
This episode, humorous as it seems, actually highlights something bigger — the global tourist’s growing sense of entitlement.
The idea that the world is one big playground waiting for us to “leave our mark,” whether it’s carving names into temple stones in Kyoto or spray-painting pandas in Penang.
Art is about expression, yes. But it’s also about respect. If “When in Rome” means blending in gracefully, “When in Penang” should mean appreciating without altering.
So to our enthusiastic painter from Sichuan: we salute your talent, your confidence, and your… courage.
But next time, maybe bring a sketchbook instead of a paintbrush. Chew Jetty’s murals don’t need pandas. They already have character.
So, remember — when in Penang, do as the Penangites do: take a selfie beside the mural, not on it.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
