Ella Chen spends CNY in Melaka with ringgit-filled ang baos and Mao Shan Wang

For many of us, the longest distance we would travel for Chinese New Year (CNY) visiting is across sunny Singapore.

But for Taiwanese singer-actress Ella Chen, she flew to Melaka to visit her in-laws on Jan 24 and her activities got netizens buzzing. The member of popular girl group S.H.E married Malaysian businessman Alvin Lai in 2012, and the couple apparently has an annual tradition of returning to his hometown for CNY.

It was reported by Malaysian media that 38-year-old Ella arrived in Malaysia on the afternoon of Chinese New Year eve and rushed to Melaka to join her relatives and friends for their reunion dinner.

Over the next few days, she took to Facebook to share photos of her celebrations, with an image of her holding up red packets getting commenters pretty excited. In the photo, two stacks of RM50 notes and a stack of RM10 notes can be seen.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/ehaloella/photos/pcb.2944167055621776/2944162355622246/?type=3&theater[/embed]

Some mentioned that they forgot she was in Melaka, some extended an invitation for coffee, while most of them expressed an interest in getting an ang bao from Ella.

The couple's son also joined them on the trip, and the whole family went to a temple on the first day — a tradition that her father-in-law reportedly practices every year — with the young boy particularly enjoying the lion dance performance.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/ehaloella/photos/pcb.2944167055621776/2944162592288889/?type=3&theater[/embed]

Despite being a 'Malaysian daughter-in-law', Ella was like a tourist, snapping photos in front of the A Famosa gate, and also on one of Melaka's colourfully decorated trishaws.

Another Facebook post that caught the eye of netizens was that of the tasty local grub that she ate during her time in Melaka.

Ella can be seen making faces in a few photos while holding a piece of durian, but it's not because she was repulsed. On the contrary, she was excited that she was about to chow down on some Mao Shan Wang and said it was so delicious that her "eyes rolled back".

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/ehaloella/photos/pcb.2945897455448736/2945893382115810/?type=3&theater[/embed]

She also had half-boiled eggs, a hearty bowl of prawn noodles, and curry noodles.

We're not sure about you guys, but those pictures make our mouths water.

bryanlim@asiaone.com