Design Village Penang transformed its open-air outlet mall into a festive “Jollylicious Christmas” setting with cheerful holiday decorations, including a dreamy pink-themed display and seasonal icons like gingerbread figures. Shoppers can soak up the festive mood while enjoying seasonal promotions, photo spots, and family-friendly attractions such as train and carousel rides that can be redeemed when you spend a certain amount at the mall.
For Christmas 2025, Sunshine Central in Farlim has gone all out with its “A Beary Merry Christmas” festive display, turning the mall’s main atrium into a whimsical Christmas village filled with 10,000 teddy bears, earning recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records for the largest teddy bear holiday display in a Christmas event. The setup features giant plush bears, a towering Christmas tree wrapped in bears, wooden cottages, festive gift boxes, twinkling lights, scenic photo spots, a nostalgic Bear Tunnel, and a classic Bear Train Ride circling the space. As part of the season’s cheer, shoppers can adopt teddy bears through a charity programme that supports children’s homes, and enjoy snowfall effects, carolling music, dance performances, and appearances by Santa Claus amidst the joyful holiday ambience.
Queensbay Mall in Penang is celebrating Christmas 2025 with its “Happy Piñata Holidays” theme, turning the Centre Atrium into a colourful and lively festive space inspired by Mexican Las Posadas traditions. The mall features oversized piñatas, a giant floating Christmas tree, playful installations, interactive “snowy icy bubbles,” and fun family elements like sleigh gondolas and Santa walkabouts. Shoppers can enjoy seasonal workshops, vibrant performances, and festive booths while soaking up the cheerful holiday atmosphere that blends bright decorations with joyful experiences for all ages.
Gurney Plaza in Penang has launched its “Bear-y Bright Holidays” Christmas theme, transforming the mall’s Centre Atrium into a festive winter-inspired space with sparkling lights, giant plush bears including a 13-foot snow bear and a 10-foot red rose bear, seasonal ornaments, and plenty of photo spots for families and friends. Visitors can enjoy appearances by Santa, meet-and-greet sessions with bear mascots, an artificial snowfall experience, and Christmas markets featuring artisanal gifts and holiday treats, all designed to create a cheerful holiday atmosphere for shoppers and guests.
Colorful animated light projections illuminate the walkway at the Esplanade (near the coastal food court and Cenotaph area) each night.
The Penang Ferry Museum, located at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal in George Town, celebrates the rich maritime legacy of Penang’s iconic ferry service, which has connected the island and mainland since 1894. The museum features historical displays, vintage photographs, ferry models, and interactive exhibits that trace the evolution of the ferries from steam-powered vessels to modern roll-on/roll-off designs. Visitors can also explore the stories of those who worked on the ferries, offering a nostalgic glimpse into one of Penang’s most enduring symbols of heritage and connection. It opens daily from 9am till 10pm.
Ticket prices: For Malaysian ID-holders (MyKad) it’s RM29 for adults and RM15 for children. For non-MyKad visitors it’s RM39 for adults and RM19 for children.
The newly restored western moat at Fort Cornwallis in George Town is set to reopen with an upgraded walkway and improved drainage, reviving a historical feature that once protected the 18th-century fort from invasions.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is a major Taoist celebration held during the ninth lunar month, honoring nine deities believed to control the movements of planets and bring good fortune. In Penang, especially at temples like Tow Boo Kong in Raja Uda, the festival is marked by vibrant rituals, long processions, vegetarian food offerings, and the lighting of massive incense sticks. Devotees often observe a nine-day vegetarian diet as an act of purification and devotion. The celebration is both spiritual and cultural, filling the streets with color, music, and prayers.
The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is steeped in legend and ancient Chinese cosmology. According to Taoist belief, the Nine Emperor Gods (known as Jiuhuang Dadi) are celestial beings representing the nine sons of Dou Mu, the Goddess of the North Star, who governs the universe and controls the life and death of mortals.
One of the most popular legends tells that the festival originated during China’s Qing Dynasty, when a secret society of devotees prayed to the Nine Emperors for protection against oppression. When the prayers were answered, the people began holding annual rituals to honor the gods.
During the festival, devotees welcome the gods on the eve of the ninth lunar month with a ceremonial procession to the sea or river, believed to be the portal through which the deities descend to Earth. After nine days of prayers, offerings, and vegetarian observance, the gods are sent back to the heavens through another water procession.
The Tow Boo Kong Temple in Raja Uda, Butterworth, is one of Penang’s largest and most impressive Taoist temples, dedicated to the Nine Emperor Gods. What began as a small shrine in the 1970s has grown into a grand complex featuring ornate dragon pillars, intricate carvings, and a beautifully landscaped courtyard. The temple becomes especially lively during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in the ninth lunar month, drawing thousands of devotees and visitors for prayers, processions, and cultural performances that fill the streets with color and devotion.
Despite its name, Armenian Street (Lebuh Armenian) was not originally settled by Armenians. It was named after the small Armenian community that once lived there in the early 1800s, who were influential traders and philanthropists in Penang. Interestingly, the famous Eastern & Oriental Hotel was founded by the Armenian Sarkies Brothers, who also established Singapore’s Raffles Hotel.
Today, the street is a UNESCO heritage hotspot known for its murals, cafes, and historic shophouses.