Penang Road and Streets

Upper Penang Road and Chulia Streets

For those who love to drink and party, the Upper Penang Road party hotspot in George Town comes alive when the sun descends on the horizon. Here, you will find pubs, karaoke lounges and clubs with live bands where the drinks keep flowing and the beat keeps thumping! At nearby Chulia Street, backpackers chill and bond in little budget motels, coffee shops and watering holes that serve relatively cheap(er) beer and drinks.

Lovely Farm

Butterfly Farm

In contrast to Georgetown, which is predominantly Chinese, Batu Ferringhi is a place where the mixed ethnicity of its residents are more apparent. All along the coast, visitors can see Malay and Chinese  fishing villages. The cafes, restaurants, sidewalk stalls and single-story shops that line Batu Ferringhi road, are run by people of different races, all sharing in the wealth that tourism brings in to Batu Ferringhi. And although the sidewalk bazaar in Batu Ferringhi has a noticeably larger number of Chinese entrepreneurs, there are a few stalls selling speciality items that are run by entrepreneurs of different races.

Sunshine

Batu Ferringhi Beach

The name Batu Ferringhi itself attests historically to Penang's brushes with several different foreign powers, including the British, the Dutch and the Portuguese. Some locals believe that the word Ferringhi was derived from a foreign language (perhaps Portuguese) which refers to 'foreigners'.

Batu Ferringhi has long been known for its scenic seaside panorama. Like other seaside destinations such as Cherating, Batu Ferringhi has been frequented by tourists for decades. Over the years, factors such as the industrialisation of Penang island and the presence of the RAAF in Butterworth, further exposed Penang and particularly Batu Ferringhi to even more foreign visitors. But it wasn't until the late 1970's that one of the first international resorts and hotels were built.

In contrast to Georgetown, which is predominantly Chinese, Batu Ferringhi is a place where the mixed ethnicity of its residents are more apparent. All along the coast, visitors can see Malay and Chinese  fishing villages. The cafes, restaurants, sidewalk stalls and single-story shops that line Batu Ferringhi road, are run by people of different races, all sharing in the wealth that tourism brings in to Batu Ferringhi. And although the sidewalk bazaar in Batu Ferringhi has a noticeably larger number of Chinese entrepreneurs, there are a few stalls selling speciality items that are run by entrepreneurs of different races.

Water Babies

The Weld Quay Clan Jettiest

The houses used to have atap roofs but these have since been replaced with zinc sheets. The six clan jetties may be located at the backwaters of George Town but the 6ha area is home to a priceless piece of Penang’s history and a living heritage that serves as a reminder of one of South East Asia’s most important maritime ports.

The birth place of many community leaders and successful merchants, Weld Quay is a crime-free settlement – a claim several residents attest to.

Here, people consider their neighbours family and would bend over backwards to help each other – a rarity in this modern day and age.

The settlement’s oldest resident is 91-year-old great-grandfather Chew Boon Cheang. The friendly old chap doesn’t speak a word of English but will flash the warmest smile whenever he sees a tourist visiting the settlement.

His parents were pioneer immigrants who came to seek their fortune here more than a century ago. Lured by the promise of a better future for their poor families back home, Chinese immigrants from the different clans settled here and lived in groups according to their provinces. The five main clans at the jetties are Lim, Chew, Tan, Lee and Yeoh. There other immigrants stayed together at the Chap Seh Keo (Mixed Surname Jetty).

In the old days, traders from Myanmar (then Burma), Acheh and Medan in Indonesia, and Kerabi and Phuket in Thailand would come to Penang, providing opportunities for the Weld Quay settlers who were mainly boatmen, fishermen, odd-job labourers and porters, to earn a good living.
Today, the young ones, who no longer depend on the sea for a living, have moved out of the settlement while their elders continue to enjoy the wooden jetties’ laidback lifestyle.

During the Thee Kong Seh (Jade Emperor’s birthday), Phor Tor (Hungry Ghost Festival) and Kew Ong Yeah (Nine Emperor Gods) festivals, everyone comes home to dutifully embrace their religion, culture and life at the settlement. Indeed, these are the best opportunities for foreign tourists to observe some of the most interesting local ceremonies in Malaysia!

Places Of Worship

Places Of Worship

Grand churches, elaborate Buddhist and Indian temples and magnificent mosques are all part and parcel of the local culture. Be it the St George’s Church (built in 1816), Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kek Lok Si Temple, Snake Temple (yes, there are live snakes inside!) or Sri Mahamariamman Temple, the different races often converge at these places of worship to practice their faith and it is indeed, a sight to be hold.

Old Streets At Penang

The Streets Of Georgetown

A fascinating fusion of eastern and western influences, Penang is Malaysia’s most tourist-visited destination. The island manages to embrace modernity while retaining its colonial traditions; due to its well-preserved heritage buildings Penang’s capital, Georgetown, has been accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Although Georgetown’s landscape is dominated by Chinese storefronts most in need of a good paint job there are also swanky shopping complexes, refurbished Chinese manors, rowdy pubs and artsy boutiques, cafes and studios. The city is a mainstay on the Malaysian tourist scene yet it is also a popular expat enclave; besides that, the food here a hotchpotch of Indian curry and Chinese noodles is for many the best in Malaysia.

Noteworthy as the only state in Malaysia to have a Chinese majority population, Penang’s sub-culture is a mixture of Asia itself. Rather than feeling mono-ethnic, it exemplifies the country’s colonial past and mixed-heritage future brilliantly. It isn’t Malaysia’s most beautiful state yet it does posses a certain charm – the oldest of the British Straits settlements, this state is arguably one of its most tolerant and cosmopolitan.

Georgetown, Penang’s capital on the north-eastern corner of the island, is dotted with idiosyncratic Chinese shop lots, narrow roads, old-fashioned colonial-era mansions, clan houses, numerous schools, ornate temples and Little India districts. It goes without saying that the city is an exceedingly rewarding destination – skirting the conurbation is a landscape of beaches, forests and lakes.

Beautiful Nature in Penang

Penang National Park

The Penang National Park spans 1,213ha of land and sea and is used by scientists, researchers, and nature lovers to explore its natural treasures.

Previously known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, this pristine site is known to harbour 417 flora and 143 fauna species. Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, located at the northwestern tip of Penang was declared the Penang National Park in April 2003.

Penang National Park is the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysia's National Park Act of 1980, signifying the State and Federal governments’ environmental protection efforts.

Penang National Park was established to preserve and protect flora and fauna as well as objects with geological archaelogical, historical, ethnologycal, scientific, and scenic interests.

Natural attractions of Pulau Pinang National Park include the Hill / Lowland Dipterocarp Forests, Mangrove Forest areas,sandy beach habitats, the unique seasonal meromictic lake and the open coastal seas. Stands of Seraya (Shorea curtisii) trees, common feature of coastal Dipterocarp Forest, can be easily seen on steep slopes around Muka Head. There are over 1000 species of plants recorded which are dominated by the family Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminoceae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae.

Part of the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve had been logged before 1955; no forest areas there have been logged since 1955. All logging activities were stopped in 1996, and Malaysian public funding has been allocated to develop the Penang National Park, within guidelines.

Best Places in Penang

Penang Hill

Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang , Malaysia It is located in Air Itam which is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the city centre of George Town, The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area. Penang Hill is also known by the Malay name Bukit Bendera, which refers to Flagstaff Hill, the most developed peak.

Penang Hill is mainly hilly granitic mass. The hill system is higher towards the northern part with its highest point at Western Hill, at an elevation of 833 m (2,723 ft) above sea level. Other than Western Hill, there are a number of peaks in the region, such as Bukit Laksamana , Tiger Hill, Flagstaff Hill and Government Hill. Flagstaff Hill is 735 m (2,450 ft) above sea level. A number of small rivers and streams originate from the region. Sungai Pinang is the largest of the rivers, and it starts from a number of tributaries in the area.

Because Penang Hill has a cooler environment, it has been a popular holiday retreat. A number of bungalows were built around Flagstaff Hill. The northern part of the Hills are not well developed. Government Hill, Bukit Timah and others are designated water catchment areas and no development is permitted.

Some recreational potential exists at the upper reaches of the river where the water is relatively clean. In a number of cases, sudden changes in ground level have resulted in a series of small waterfalls and rapids, where bathing, dipping and picnicking are popular.

The lower terrain of the Hills is used mainly for agricultural and residential purposes.

Waterfall Garden in Penang

Penang Botanic Garden

The Penang Botanic Gardens, more popularly known as the "Waterfall Gardens", was established by the British way back in 1884 from an old quarry site. The beautiful grounds and the tranquility of the gardens have long been enjoyed and admired by millions of visitors. Besides being the arboretum living plants specimens, it is also the seat of botanical conservation, education and training. The Gardens also play an important role in the field of horticulture and landscaping development.

The Gardens were founded in 1884 by Charles Curtis from the Gardens and Forests Departments Straits Settlements. As the first Curator, Curtis was a devoted plant lover who tirelessly transformed the granite quarry into a garden, and greatly contributed to the botanical and horticulture development of the Gardens.

Walking around the Gardens, one cannot miss the Cannon Ball Tree (Couropita guanensis) and the large buttress roots of the Sengkuang Tree (Dracantamelon dao). Look out for the Pinang Palm (Areca catechu) that lent its name to the island of Penang, and the Black Lily (Tacca integrifalia) with its unique purplish-black coloured flowers. The endemic Slipper Orchid (Paphiopedilum barbatum) and the ginger, Geoctachys penangensis, can also be found here.

Look out also for the wildlife inhabiting the gardens. Commonly seen are the long-tailed Macaques, Dusky Leaf Monkeys, Black Giant Squirrels and a myriad of insects and butterflies.

From afar, one could catch a view of the famous waterfall up on the hills above the reservoir.

Most Interesting Places in Penang

KEK LOK SI TEMPLE

The Kek Lok Si Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang and is one of the best known temples on the island. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Southesteast asia . The temple is heavily commercialised with shops at every level and inside the main temple complexes.

Mahayana Buddhism and traditional Chinese rituals blend into a harmonious whole, both in the temple architecture and artwork as well as in the daily activities of worshippers.

The construction of the temple began in 1890 and was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddes of Mercy Temple at Pitt Street . With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang , the project received the sanction of the Emperor Guangxu , who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.

As the fairly recent date mentioned above may suggest, the temple is still growing. Generous donations from the affluent Chinese community allow the construction of additional buildings. From 2005 to 2009 an ornate shelter for the Kuan Yin statue was constructed. 16 carved dragon pillars were built, carrying the top of three concentric octogonals roof. This most recent construction was inaugurated on 6 December 2009.

The temple is a focal point of festivals of the Chinese community in Penang. The Chinese New Year celebrations are particularly impressive. For 30 days following Chinese New Year, the temple remains open until late at night whilst thousands of lights turn the scenery into a sea of light.

Background Of Pulau Pinang

                                       BACKGROUND OF PENANG

                              

                                 

The history of Penang began in 1786, when Captain Francis Light struck a deal with the Sultan of Kedah. He acquired Pulau Pinang (Penang Island) from the Sultan on behalf of the East India Company, which is return promised Kedah protection against its powerful neighbours.

By 1800, Light had also managed to negotiate for a strip of land next to the island. The place was named Province Wellesley (after the Governor of India) and is now the present Seberang Perai.

Light named the island Prince of Wales Island because the acquisition date fell on the prince's birthday. He first landed at the site of the present Esplanade. The place was then no more than a swampy, malaria-infested area. To clear the place, he loaded the ship's cannons with silver dollars and fired them into the jungle to encourage faster clearing of the thick undergrowth by the labourers.

A town was established and named George Town, after the Prince of Wales. The grid of this settlement was bordered by Light Street, Chulia Street, Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling) and Bishop Street.

To encourage settlers, the port was accorded a duty-free status and new arrivals were allowed to claim as much land as they could clear. From virtually an uninhabited island, the population grew to 10,000 by the end of the century.

Penang became a trading post for tea, spices (clove and nutmeg from local plantations), china, pepper from Acheh and textiles from India. Later on, the regional trade grew to include tin, then rubber.

It became the crossroads of great civilizations, a melting pot of the east . Traders and settlers came from the Europe, India, China, the Malay Archipelago, Thailand and Burma.

The free and neutral British port was favoured over Dutch trading posts because of the heavy restrictions and taxes.

The Europeans settled at Light Street, the Eurasians from Kedah and Phuket stayed at Bishop Street and Church Street (Lebuh Gereja). The Straits Chinese traders from Kedah and Melaka who came here to seek new opportunities converged at China Street while the Indian traders settled at Chulia Street.

By early 1800s, George Town had grown to include two more streets - Armenian Street inhabited by the Armenians and Acheen Street, home to the Achehnese, other Sumatrans and Malays.

In 1832, Penang formed part of the Straits Settlement with Melaka and Singapore.

Besides being a commercial interest and land of opportunities, Penang was also a liberal haven to the various communities - the Malays escaping Siamese attacks in Kedah, the Eurasians fleeing religious persecution in South Thailand, the Manchu-oppressed-Chinese and the South Indians who left a homeland of poverty and strife.

Penang remained under the British Colonial rule until 1957, when it gained independence under the Federation of Malaya. It was briefly occupied by the Japanese from 1941 to 1945. In 1963, it became part of Malaysia when Sabah and Sarawak came into the group.