George Town, often written as Georgetown, is the capital of Penang state. It is located on the northeast tip of Penang Island. The city of George Town itself has a population of 200,000, a number that has dropped over the years as the population moves to the suburbs. It is the biggest city and administrative centre of a metropolitan area of over a million people.
Much of George Town consists of old shophouses built on narrow streets. streets of George Town is in itself part of the attractiveness of George Town, making it one of the favourite destinations for foreign visitors. The city of George Town is one of two cities (the other being Malacca) that has been submitted for consideration as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The settlement at George Town was established by Captain Francis Light in 1786. It was the first British trading post in this part of the world. Francis Light obtained Penang from the Sultan of Kedah by giving the sultan the impression that he will get British protection for the sultan when in reality the British had never agreed to such a deal - something that Francis Light had delayed in informing the sultan.
Francis Light is an interesting historical personality whom I have documented in various parts of AsiaExplorers. You can find references to him on this page, as well as on pages about his tomb, his memorial, his statue, Kuala Kedah Fort, and even Phuket.
Earliest records shows that the area where George Town is located was called Tanjung Penaga (written Tanjong Penaigre) by the local people. The name means cape of ironwood trees, and even today, the locals still refer to George Town as Tanjong. Much of the coastal areas of Penang Island including George Town, was mangrove swamp. The waterfront area has been expanded through several phases of land reclamation. Do you know, for example, that Lebuh Pantai (Beach Street) used to be right on the beach? Hard to imagine today, but it was.
The original George Town established by Francis Light reaches to Pitt Street (today Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling) and Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia). The Prangin River - or canal, as we would know it today, if we could find it at all - was as far as George Town would be. This section is today inner George Town.
In 1789, three years after the British established George Town, convict labourers well brought in from Bengal. With this bountiful labour in hand, the British were able to lay out the streets. By the time Francis Light died, in 1794, most of the streets within inner George Town have been laid.
The very first street in George Town was named after its founder, Light Street. Light Street used to end at a jetty. The other end of it reaches the Town Well which was sunk by Light. This well is now within the grounds of the Convent Light Street.
Eager to get his new town started, Light invited immigrants from all over to settle there. A group of Eurasians in Kedah (having earlier left Phuket, where they face religious persecution) moved in, and settled in the area bounded by Bishop Street and Lebuh Gereja (Church Street). At the same time, Chinese traders from Kedah also moved in to settle along Lebuh China. By around 1800, they have built their first temple in Penang, the Kong Hock Keong, better known among the locals as Kuan Yin Teng, and appearing in brochures as the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy (At the time it was built, it wasn't intended for the Goddess of Mercy though, click the link to learn more).
The Malays and Achenese settled further south of town. By 1807, they have two roads named after them, Malay Lane and Acheen Street (today Lebuh Acheh). Today, the Malay community along Lebuh Acheh has shrunk to a few kampung houses around the vicinity of the Acheen Street Mosque. Later on, Malay Lane had a name change, to Armenian Lane, probably because of a few Armenian families that settled at its eastern end, where it meets Beach Street.
By 1822, the Armenians have their church built along Bishop Street. Around this time, they were starting to move out of Armenian Lane. Today, Armenian Lane is known as Armenian Street or Lebuh Armenia. It is lengthier than the original Armenian Lane, because it includes a section of Pitt Street that was renamed to become it. No visible trace of the Armenians can be seen there today, but the name lives on.
The Indian Muslims have also settled in George Town. Naturally the road where they settled were named for them: Chulia Street, or Lebuh Chulia. Along Chulia Street we can find two religious structures of Indian Muslim origin, the Kapitan Keling Mosque, originally built with bricks from India, and the Nagore Shrine, built by the Indian Muslims to honour a South Indian Muslim saint. There is a Nagore Shrine in Singapore too.
Perpendicular and north of Chulia Street is Queen Street (Lebuh Queen), where an Indian community was establish. Over here, the Hindus erected the Mahamariamman Temple. Built in 1833 (its earliest incarnation is nothing like its current self), it is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang.
George Town was built for trade. Often at the expense of Malacca, which the British did whatever they could to prevent it from returning to the Dutch, and whose development they deliberately suppressed, so that all trade could be channeled to the Penang port. Despite the best efforts, it wasn't long before they acknowledge that Penang was too far north to be an ideal trading hub, and that propelled them to establish Singapore.
There is plenty of ornate architecture waiting for visitors to explore in inner George Town.
One of the pioneer Straits Chinese clans to achieve prosperity in George Town were the Cheahs. Their leader was Cheah Yam @ Che Em, whose name lives on today at Lorong Che Em (Che Em Lane), a rather obscure lane off Lebuh Pantai. It also happens to be one of the first streets in George Town to be named after a non European. Not many people would know that the illustrious Che Em was also one of the founding members of Cheah Kongsi.
When you explore the streets of George Town today, you will note that many of those old shophouses are narrow and long. There's a reason for that. In 1826, assessment rates were based on street frontage. A flat rate is charged for every 20 feet of frontage, and the amount differ according to location. Lebuh Pantai is prime real estate, and properties north of Market Streets have to pay 20 dollars; south of Market Street the rates were only 6 dollars. Next comes China Street, at 10 dollars per frontage. The rest of the streets pay an assessment of 5 dollars per frontage.
George Town, particularly Inner George Town, is a place that invites you to explore. There is so much to see - truly it is a melting pot of all the cultures in Asia. Just by going through the names of the streets, you can learn so much about who once lived there. Through AsiaExplorers, and through my involvement in the Penang Heritage Trust, I continue to promote a greater appreciation of the heritage of George Town, as part of the heritage in Asia.
As I write this (June 2007), I am proud to say that the street signs in George Town are now being replaced with new ones that shows both both the present Malay name as well as the former English name. Being in the Penang Heritage Trust committee, I was involved in selecting the design for the new street signs. I hope visitors to George Town will find the new street signs helpful. For information of the many heritage buildings in George Town, I am still working tirelessly to document every one fo them. As I finish new ones, I will add them to the point-and-click map, so that, at the very least, you can explore George Town, from the comfort of your desktop.
By Ferry: George Town is linked to Peninsula Malaysia by a ferry service that ply between Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda in George Town and Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim in Butterworth. Penang Port Sdn Bhd presently operates a fleet of eight ferries, named Pulau Angsa, Pulau Rimau, Pulau Pinang, Pulau Talang-Talang, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Payar and Pulau Undan. The fare for pedestrians is RM1.20 for adults and RM0.60 for children, for the journey from Butterworth to Penang. The journey on the opposite direction is not charged.
The ferry from Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda runs from 5:30am to 12:30am daily, while the ferry from Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim runs from 6:00am to 1:00am daily.
By Flight: The Penang International Airport is situated in Bayan Lepas, 16km from George Town. Taxi fare between the airport and George Town costs around RM35, and the journey takes anywhere between 30 min to 45 min (or more, if there is a massive jam).
By Bus: Outstation buses arrive in Penang Island at the Terminal Bas Ekspres Sungai Nibong, which is about 8km from George Town. The easiest way to go anywhere from there is to take a taxi - it will cost you around RM20. If you would rather take the public bus, the bus stop is a distance away along Jalan Sungai Dua. It will cost only a fraction of the taxi fare, however.
George Town is a very compact city, and most of its heritage sites are best explored on foot. The hub for public buses is Komtar, a multi-purpose shopping centre in the heart of the city.
Free Shuttle Bus
There is a free shuttle bus that goes around George Town. Here's a description of the bus route:
Start at the Pengkalan Weld Bus Stop and head south.
Turn right into Gat Lebuh Chulia.
At the next junction, turn right into Lebuh Pantai.
At the roundabout, turn left into Lebuh Light.
In front of Dewan Sri Pinang, turn left into Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, then immediately turn right into Lebuh Farquhar.
In front of the Shell Petrol Station, turn left into Jalan Penang.
At the overhead pedestrian crossing, turn left into Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong.
At the next right junction, turn into Jalan Ria and go through Komtar.
Turn right into Jalan Magazine.
From Jalan Magaine, turn right into Jalan Penang again.
From Jalan Penang, turn left into Jalan Burma.
From Jalan Burma, turn right into Jalan Transfer.
At the traffic light, turn right into Jalan Hutton.
At the next traffic light, return to Jalan Penang again.
Back at the overhead pedestrian crossing, turn left again into Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong.
At the end of Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, turn left into Jalan Carnavon.
Continue through Jalan Kampong Kolam to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.
Go around the Supreme Court, turning right into Lebuh Light.
From Lebuh Light, turn right into Lebuh Penang.
From Lebuh Penang, turn left into Lebuh Bishop.
From Lebuh Bishop, turn left into Lebuh Pantai.
From Lebuh Pantai, turn right into Lebuh Downing.
From Lebuh Downing, turn right into Pengkalan Weld and ends at the Pengkalan Weld Bus Stop.
Trishaw
Trishaws used to be an important way to get around in George Town, but nowadays they exist more as a tourist attraction. Trishaws congregate in front of major hotels. They are not the cheapest form of transportation - be prepared to pay around RM15 for an hour's journey. They allow you to sightsee at a pleasant speed when walking under the hot suns becomes too tiring.
There are many heritage sites in Penang - indeed it has one of the densiest concentration of sites in Malaysia. Explore these many sites with AsiaExplorers.
beaches of Penang
Explore the many beaches and coastal sights of Penang with AsiaExplorers. Sights are listed clockwise around the Island.
There are a number of small islands surrounding Penang Island. Only Pulau Jerejak and Pulau Aman has any form of habitation, while the rest are mere outcrops in the sea. Click enter to view them.
Penang has one of the highest concentration of Chinese temples in Southeast Asia. Let AsiaExplorers take you on a journey to explore some of the most ornate temples in Penang, documented through photographs and carefully researched text.
When the Chinese immigrated to Penang in the mid 19th to the mid 20th century, they built ornate clan temples that are today heritage sites in Penang. Explore them with AsiaExplorers.
Exploring the Churches in Penang
Explore the many churches in Penang with AsiaExplorers. We select those with heritage and aesthetic value to be documented here. Click the thumbnail on the left to view sights listed.
Exploring the Mosques in Penang
There are several mosques and Muslim heritage structures in Penang worth exploring. Click to view a list of some that have been documented in AsiaExplorers.
Exploring the Hindu Temples in Penang
View the Hindu temples of Penang, as documented in AsiaExplorers.
Explore the Schools of Penang
Some of the most important schools in Penang is documented here in AsiaExplorers.
AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address:
