13 Oct GEORGE TOWN CULTURE & HERITAGE TRAIL
George Town Culture & Heritage Trail
FROM KOMTAR
Street of Harmony (St. George’s Church, Goddess of Mercy Temple, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Masjid Kapitan Keling)
Take a morning stroll along the Street of Harmony and bask in the influences of four different religions – Christianity, Taoism, Hinduism and Islam. St. George’s Church, built in the nineteenth century, is the earliest Anglican church in South-East Asia with a cool pastel blue interior marble flooring. Its lush, perfectly manicured grounds surround an elegant Victorian-style pavilion.
A few steps away is the Goddess of Mercy Temple, which was built in 1800 and is Penang’s oldest Taoist temple. You can have a fortune stick reading here. Not far away is the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Penang – built in 1833, featuring sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses on the main entrance and facade. Turn a corner and you will find Masjid Kapitan Keling, a mosque built by Indian-Muslim traders in the nineteenth century. You will be required to wear robes which will be provided for you. Entrances to the grounds of these four places of worship are free.
Address
Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
Step into an affluent Straits Chinese, popularly known as Baba-Nyonya, home. The mansion is furnished to provide a peek into the lavish lifestyle and the many customs and traditions of the Baba-Nyonya. Over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles from that era are on display. Be prepared to be awe-struck by the mansion’s eclectic design and architecture.
Operation Days
Monday – Sunday
Operation Hours
9.30am – 5.00pm
Address
29, Lebuh Gereja, George Town
Contact
+604-264 2929
rmhbaba@gmail.com
Website
Khoo Kongsi
Marvel at the intricate and highly elaborate architecture of the Chinese clan temple. The clan temple was built in 1906, at the height of the Khoo clan’s prosperity and eminence. The Khoo Kongsi complex is made up of an administrative building with a meeting hall and offices, an opera stage, together with 62 lots of terrace houses and shophouses. These places are accessible through Khoo Kongsi’s central building, Leong San Tong. Khoo Kongsi houses a little museum, where the Khoo lineage is charted over the generations.
Operation Days
Monday – Sunday
Operation Hours
9.00am – 5.00pm
Address
18, Cannon Square, George Town
Contact
+604-261 4609
+604-264 2119 (ticketing)
khookongsi@gmail.com
Website
“Boy on a Chair” Street Art
Snap a photo with the Boy on Chair street art. This mural was painted by Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian artist, in conjunction with George Town Festival 2012. It is a cheeky depiction of a boy standing on tiptoe on a chair to reach a very high hole in the wall.
Address
Lebuh Cannon, George Town
Cheah Kongsi
Take a tour of Penang’s earliest clan house. Situated a block away from Khoo Kongsi, it has the earmarks of the grand temples and palaces of China. The architecture and design of this building has influences of Malay, traditional Straits Chinese and European motifs.
Operation Days
Monday – Sunday
Operation Hours
9.00am – 5.00pm (Last admission 4.30pm)
Address
8, Lebuh Armenian, George Town
Contact
+604-261 3837
admin@cheahkongsi.org.my
Website
“Cat & Human Happily Living Together” Street Art
Take a selfie with the curious cat procession, drawn by artist Tang Yeok Khang, who works with Artists for Stray Animals (ASA), in conjunction with George Town Festival 2013 for the 101 Lost Kittens project. The mural advocates animal kindness. The representation of cats in place of humans in the Taoist procession symbolises how it feels like to be in each other’s forms.
Address
Lebuh Armenian, George Town
Clan Jetties
Walk down the pier and catch the sunset from the Clan Jetty. Sit back at a café and order a cold drink as the day draws to an end. Take in the sights at the floating village by the waterfront. Home to a tight-knit community, many families continue to live in the century-old houses built on stilts over the water.
Operation Days
Monday – Sunday
Operation Hours
9.00am – 9.00pm
Address
Pengkalan Weld, George Town
Contact
+6011-6246 2884
