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Penang Travel Guide
Penang Tourist Attractions, Penang Travel Tips, Penang Heritage Sites

Penang Travel Guide contains useful information and tips for visitors and people planning a trip to Penang. Read also my new website, Penang Travel Tips!

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Penang may be one of the smallest state in Malaysia, but it is endowed with an enormous variety of attractions, making it one of the major tourist destinations in the country.

Penang consists of two parts: Penang Island and Seberang Perai. Penang Island is 293 square kilometers while Seberang Perai, also known as Province Wellesley, is 760 square kilometers. The metropolitan area of Penang stretches from George Town southwards to Bayan Lepas, and on the Seberang Perai side, from Butterworth down to Seberang Jaya. George Town is a city steep in history and heritage, with lots of photography opportunities. Some of the loveliest beaches in Penang are found along the north coast of Penang Island, between Tanjung Tokong and Teluk Bahang.


Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, Kek Lok Si Temple, Ayer Itam, Penang.
Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, Kek Lok Si Temple, Ayer Itam, Penang.


Penang Hill, also known as Bukit Bendera, is a collection of hills on the central portion of Penang, with the highest peak being Western Hill, at 830 meters above sea level. With 2032 persons per square kilometer on Penang Island and 866 persons per square kilometer in Seberang Perai, Penang is the most densely populated state in Malaysia. 66% of the population is Chinese (1995), 23% Malay and 11% Indian.

History of Penang

Penang was founded in 1786 when the Sultan of Kedah handed it over to the British East India Company, in return for a promise to protect it from invasion by Siamese and Burmese forces. Captain Francis Light was looking for a base to be used as a British trading post. He explored different places including Phuket before settling on Penang. On 11 August 1786, Francis Light landed on Penang and named it Prince of Wales Island.

The location of Penang at the mouth of the Straits of Malacca makes it an attractive choice for a British outpost. It has a natural harbour for trading ships and can be developed into a naval base to counter a growing French ambition in the region. Francis Light named the settlement at the northeastern tip of Penang as George Town, after King George III (1738-1820).

When handing Penang over to Francis Light, the Sultan of Kedah was unaware that Light was acting without the approval of his superiors to offer military protection. When it became clear that the British had no intention of protecting Kedah from Siam, the Sultan of Kedah tried to retake Penang in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede Penang to the East India Company for an honorarium of 6000 Spanish dollars per annum. When Province Wellesley was added to Penang in 1800, this amount was increased to 10,000 Spanish dollars. The Malaysian government continues to pay this annual honorarium of 10,000 ringgit to the state of Kedah. In 1821, Siamese forces conquered Kedah and it remained under Siamese control until it was transferred to the British by the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.

In 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration from India. From 1867, it came under direct British colonial rule. In 1946, after the end of World War II, Penang became part of the Malayan Union, before becoming a state of the Federation of Malaya in 1948. In 1963 Penang became one of the 13 states of Malaysia.

George Town was accorded city status by Queen Elizabeth II on January 1, 1957. This makes it the first town in the then Federation of Malaya to become a city, after Singapore. Still on display at the Penang State Museum is the royal charter granting George Town its city status and the petition from the Penang residents to Queen Elizabeth II in this regard. However, as a result of local government reorganisations in 1976, the City Council of George Town was merged with the neighbouring Penang Rural District Council to form the Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang). Although the city status of George Town was never officially revoked, the state and federal governments are of the view that it has ceased to exist. In recent years, local resentment has grown as relatively insignificant towns such as Alor Setar have been designated cities. The state government has announced its intention to petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia for a regrant of city status once the city's new boundaries are agreed.

The island was a free port until 1969. Since the 1970s, Penang has built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, in the Free Trade Zone around the airport in the south of the island. Its colonial history and Penang’s awareness of its past legacy, many buildings of colonial times can still be seen today. Such buildings include the City Hall, the Town Hall, the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, the Old Court House, Suffolk House (Francis Light’s residence), Uplands International School building, Standard Chartered Bank building and the HSBC Bank building. Local conservation groups such at the Penang Heritage Trust are lobbying the Penang state government to restore many of Penang's historical buildings but sadly a number of them have dilapidated beyond repair.



Penang Food

Penang, particularly Penang Island, is often regarded as a food paradise among Malaysias and Singaporeans. Penang's cuisine reflects the Chinese, Nyonya, Malay and Indian ethnic mix with a strong influenced by the cuisine of Thailand. Penang is famous for its hawker fare, which is food sold by itinerant vendors by the sidewalk.

Penang Sights

There are numerous places of interest in Penang, and a growing list of them are being documented on the pages of AsiaExplorers. Click on the thumbnails below to open pages where the sights in Penang are carefully documented and categorized.


George Town

George Town Travel Guide

Get to know George Town, the capital of penang!

George Town Travel Guide

Heritage Sites in Penang

Exploring the Heritage Sites in Penang

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.

Penang Heritage Sites

Batu Feringgi, the most famous beach in Penang

Exploring the beaches of Penang

Explore the many beaches and coastal sights of Penang with AsiaExplorers. Sights are listed clockwise around the Island.

Penang Beaches


Lovers' Isle off the north coast of Penang Island

Exploring the islands around Penang

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.

Islands around Penang


Exploring the Chinese Temples in Penang

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.

Penang Chinese Temples


Exploring the Chinese Clan Temples in Penang

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.

Penang Clan Temples


Churches in Penang

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.

Penang Beaches


Mosques in Penang

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.

Islands around Penang


Hindu Temples in Penang

Exploring the Hindu Temples in Penang

View the Hindu temples of Penang, as documented in AsiaExplorers.

Penang Hindu Temples


Heritage Schools of Penang

Explore the Schools of Penang

Some of the most important schools in Penang is documented here in AsiaExplorers.

Penang Schools




Penang Photo Gallery

Wat Chaiyamangkalaram, Burmah Lane, is noted for its huge reclining Buddha statue.
Above: Wat Chaiyamangkalaram, Burmah Lane, is noted for its huge reclining Buddha statue.

Chien nien broken pottery figurines at the rooftop of the Teochew Association Ancestral Temple reflects Penang's cultural heritage.

Above left: Chien nien broken pottery figurines at the rooftop of the Teochew Association Ancestral Temple reflects Penang's cultural heritage.
View of Burmah Road with the old Wing Loke Restaurant, a heritage structure now abandoned to the elements, another Penang example of urban decay.

Above: View of Burmah Road with the old Wing Loke Restaurant, a heritage structure now abandoned to the elements, another Penang example of urban decay.

The Penang City Hall is a legacy of its colonial past.



Above: The Penang City Hall is a legacy of its colonial past.
The Penang Clock Tower was erected in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Below: The natural rock formations of Pulau Kendi is one of the wonderful secrets of Penang waiting to be discovered.
The Penang Clock Tower was erected in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

The natural rock formations of Pulau Kendi is one of the wonderful secrets of Penang waiting to be discovered.


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How much have you explored Penang? Through AsiaExplorers and its associate website, Penang Travel Tips, you can now explore the these places in Penang from the comfort of your desk: Penang, , George Town, ABN-Amro Bank Building, Acheen Street Mosque, Aquarium Pulau Pinang, Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple, Balathandayuthapani Temple, Balik Pulau, Balik Pulau Durian, Ban Hin Lee Bank Building, Baobab Tree of Penang, Batu Ferringhi, Batu Kawan, Batu Maung, Blissful Memorial Park, Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Botanical Garden Waterfall, Brown Memorial, Butterworth Outer Ring Road, Cathedral of the Assumption, Cenotaph, Cheah Kongsi, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Chew Jetty, Chinese Chamber of Commerce Building, Chor Soo Kong Temple, Chung Keng Kwee Temple, Chung Ling High School, Church of Immaculate Conception, Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Balik Pulau, Church Street Pier, City Hall, Clan Jetties, Clan Jetties Academic Paper, Convent Light Street, Dewan Mahatma Gandhi, Dhammikarama Burmese Temple, Durians of Balik Pulau, Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Eng Tai Hoay Kuan, Foo Tye Sin Mansion, Fort Cornwallis, Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse, Francis Light Biography / Grave, Francis Light Memorial, Francis Light Statue, George Town, Gertak Sanggul, Gurney Drive, Gurney Plaza, Hai Kee Chan @ Pinang Peranakan Museum, Han Jiang Teochew Ancestral Temple, Hock Teik Cheng Sin @ Hokkien Tua Pek Kong Temple, Homestead, HSBC Bank Building, India House, Jabatan Agama Islam Pulau Pinang, Jabatan Immigresen, Jelutong Expressway, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kee Poh Huat Kongsi, Kek Lok Si Temple @ Temple of Supreme Bliss, Koh Seang Tat Fountain, Kongsoon House, Kuan Yin Teng @ Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, Khoo Kongsi - Boon San Tong, Khoo Kongsi - Leong San Tong, Komtar, Lim Kongsi @ Kew Leong Tong, Logan Memorial, Loke Mansion, Lover's Isle, Mahamariamman Temple, Moon Gate, Muka Head, Mukim Kongsi Mosque, Balik Pulau, Nagore Shrine, Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple, Ng Fook Thong Temple, Nine Emperor Gods Temple of Butterworth, Nine Emperor Gods Temple of Penang, Ong Kongsi, P. Ramlee's Birth House, Pasir Panjang, Penang Aquarium, Penang Beaches, Penang Bird Park, Penang Bridge, Penang Buddhist Association, Penang Channel Tidal Islands, Penang Chinese Anti-War Memorial, Penang Chinese Girls' High School, Penang Chinese Temples, Penang Churches, Penang Free School, Penang Heritage Sites, Penang Heritage Trust, Penang Hill, Penang Hindu Temples, Penang Mosques, Penang Philomatic Union, Penang Schools, Penang State Assembly, Penang State Mosque, Penang State Museum, Penang State Stadium, Penang Turf Club, Penang War Museum, Permatang Damar Laut, Pulau Aman, Pulau Gedung, Pulau Jerejak, Pulau Kendi, Pulau Tikus, Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower, Queensbay Mall, Runnymede (Wisma Persekutuan), Sam Poh Footprint Temple, San Wooi Wooi Koon, Seng Ong Beow Temple, Sheikh Al-Hadi's Residence, Sheikh Omar Basheer Mausoleum, Snake Temple, Sri Krishna Bagawan Alayam Temple, Sri Kunj Bihari Temple, Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple, Sri Rama Temple, St. Anne's Sanctuary, St. George's Anglican Church, St. Joseph's Novitiate, St. Xavier's Institution, Standard Chartered Building, Strawberry Hill, Suffolk House, Sungai Batu, Sungai Pinang, Sungai Prai Bridge, Sun Qiang Temple, Sun Yat Sen's Penang Base, Supreme Court Building, Syed Sheikh Al-Hadi's Residence, Tan Kongsi - Eng Chuan Tong, Tanjong Tokong, Tanjong Tokong Tua Pek Kong Temple, Teluk Bahang, Teluk Kumbar, Teluk Tempoyak, Thean Hock Keong Temple, Thni Kong Tnua @ the Jade Emperor's Pavilion, Titi Kerawang, Town Hall, VTM Chettiar Temple, Balik Pulau, Wadda Gurdwara Sahib, Wat Chaiyamangkalaram, Wat Pinbang-Onn, Woodville, Zemschug Grave Marker
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