Friday, January 28, 2011

penang - pearl of the orient

Here are some photo shots during the walkabout on the streets of Georgetown particularly within the designated Heritage Zone. What I saw was the tremendous tourism related activities and establishment around the Zone with all heritage buildings being touched up and the old run down look of the buildings just "dissappeared".

However, many attractions specifically associated with Penang remained intact with a slight "cosmetic make-up".


The trishaws along Penang Road now sporting sponsored yellow roofs which has basically added color to the streets there. Unlike the beca(s) of their "twin" heritage city of Melaka which are extravagantly decorated with artificial flowers and music blaring from the trishaws, the ride around  Georgetown would not need music as there are simply too many things to see and probably a narrated trishaw rider would be a bonus.

This heritage Chinese temple among the many found arounf the Heritage Zone withstood the test of times and with some maintenance remains a legacy for tourists to value what the past had left for the future generations to learn.

This quaint house in Penang had served as the base for Dr Sun Yat Sen's, revolutionary and political leader of Nationalist China, operations in Nanyang (South East Asia) which started the Yellow Flower Mount Revolt in 1911.

Sunset over Penang Hill viewed from Georgetown building.

Peking Hotel is a classic example of a hotel which had survived through the years despite growing competition from modern hotels with better facilities and comfort. The hotel is known to the locals for its Health Centre operating from an annexe building behind the hotel, but to the legal fraternity and foreigners, the Soho Bar located in front of the building is a popular spot for happy hours till late.


View of typical roof top view of homes found along the heritage zone.

One of the heritage homes which had been preserved and looking exquisite again.

Small shop houses lined up Chulia Street serving the many tourists staying in the Heritage Zone.

A typical back entrance to the houses in the heritage zone.

The Odeon Cinema that is still able to attract movie goers. Though it only plays Tamil movies, the following and demand never fails to fill up the cinema hall. Long live Odeon!

This is an evidence of racial harmony in ancient times with a mosque located within a Chinese populated Chulia Street. We would welcome more of these to display to our visitors of the racial harmony we had lived in for many years.

Despite the slightly modern look of the push-cart, the man and the dish of the roadside trade remains. Don't be surprise that the taste could be even better then those in the nicer feel restaurants at higher prices.


Masjid Kapitan Kling in Georgetown

Sunrise in Georgetown with Komtar in the background.


At a glance, it looks like smoke billlowing from Penang island's tallest building. On a closer look, the "smoke" is actually passing clouds.

Kampung Kaka? Penang had Kaka way before the famous Brazilian footballer Kaka made its name. Re-think about how the road got its name and the crows on the road signs, it easily could point out that the sound from the crows was the actual reason for the Kampung Kaka.

It's rather interesting to see a house being squeezed in between two larger home fronts. This is Georgetown, full of surprises!

An old hotel located along Penang Road which was addded with air-conditioning to stay competitive against the newer hotels.

A little touch up of the old and we have a heritage house among the many in the Heritage Zone that had been cleverly converted into handicraft shops, hotels and restaurants.



THis is the original trishaw of Penang parked along the corridors of a shop in the old Georgetown.

Decorative tiles of many designs adorned five-foot corridors ("kaki lima") of shops and houses around the heritage zone as above and it certainly adds color to the buildings around the area.


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