Category: Architecture

Penang Isle: The Esplanade

The Esplanade area is a popular tourist location at George Town as it houses the Fort Cornwallis, the City Halls as well as an old lighthouse which overlooks the Penang Harbour. The large Esplanade field is also the venue of major festivals held at the island (such as New Year celebration, cultural show, and the Bon Odori festival). The seafront of the Esplanade is a popular place to fish day or night while during the night, there is a foodcourt nearby selling local delicacies.

Location at Google Map.

Penang Isle: The Dhammikarama Burmese Temple

The Dhammikarama Burmese Temple is a buddhist temple located at the heart of George Town with its presence that lasted on the Penang island for more than 200 years since its foundation back in 1803. Often regarded as the earliest Burmese Buddhist temple in Malaysia, the temple is located directly opposite of the Wat Chaiyamangalaram Thai Buddhist temple.

The temple complex is consisted of a main shrine hall, the Sime Hall which houses a giant standing Buddha statue, a pagoda, a 200 years old well built during the early settlement of monks. The roof of the Sime Hall is also clad in golden paint with unique Burmese architecture. Statues of mythical creatures as well as deities can also be found scattered around the temple complex’s courtyard and garden.

Location: Google Map

Penang Isle: St George’s Anglican Church

Located in the heart of George Town and the heritage zone, St. George’s Church is the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia. Built in 1816 and completed in 1818 on the initiative of the Penang Colonial Chaplain, Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings (who was also the founder of Penang Free School), the building of the church was done with the help of The East India Company.

The Georgian Palladium architecture of the church was designed by Captain Robert N. Smith of Madras Engineers, a renowned designer and artist at that time. On the lawn of the St George’s Church is the Francis Light Memorial, which was built in 1886 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Penang by Captain Francis Light.

In 2007, the church was declared one the 50 National Treasures of Malaysia by the Malaysian government.

The church is on the corner of Lebuh Farquhar and Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling at George Town. The church underwent renovation in 2010 and was reopened in early 2011.

Services in English are held on Sundays at 8.30am and 10.30am. The church is also lit up every night from 7:30pm to 10pm for a beautiful night view.

Address:
1, Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.
Telephone: 604 261 2739
Fax: 604 264 2292


The Francis Light Memorial, with a marble plaque honoring Francis Light underneath the dome.

Penang Isle: Suffolk House

Suffolk House refers to two early residences built on the same site located some four miles west of George Town, Penang, on the banks of the Air Itam River (Black Water River). The earliest of the two buildings is notable for serving as the residence of Francis Light, the founder of the British settlement on the Prince of Wales Island, commonly known as Penang Island. Following Light’s death in 1794, and with Penang becoming the fourth presidency of India in 1805, a newer Suffolk House replaced the original house, assuming multiple roles and was later neglected before its current restoration.

The mansion and the estate it was built on, the Suffolk Estate, is presumably named after Suffolk county in England. Light was born in Dallinghoo, Suffolk in East Anglia.

Website: http://www.suffolkhouse.com.my/

Penang Isle: Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower

The Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower located nearby the Betel Nut roundabout in George Town (King Edward’s Place) is one of the famous landmarks in the island. The 60-feet high tower was built by Penang millionaire Cheah Chen Eok to commemorate Queen Victoria’s 1897 Jubilee at that time.


The Betel Nut roundabout structure is made up of a fountain with a 4.8m-high metal structure re-sembling giant pinang fruits is erected at the roundabout next to the clock tower.

Penang Isle: Cheah Kongsi

The Cheah Kongsi is one of the oldest and intriguing clan temple to be established in Penang in the year 1873.
Situated right at heart of Georgetown (Armenian Street), the Cheah Kongsi possessed a intricate and unique architecture as well as design which reflects buildings of ancient Chinese. The Cheah clan in Penang is the oldest of the five major Hokkien clan associations in Penang. Historically Cheah Kongsi was founded by Cheah Yam, a clan member who came from a village called Sek Tong in the Hokkien province of China.

Click here for the Location Map and the official website of the Cheah Kongsi is http://cheahkongsi.com.my/.

Penang Isle: The Masonic Temple

Constructed in the year 1924, the Penang Masonic Temple is both a heritage and historic Masonic building. The temple, located at 136 Jalan Utama (Western Road), Georgetown, was built as the centralized building for the four Freemason groups to meet at that time. It was built by both the Lodge Scotia and The Royal Prince of Wales Lodge. The building today is still used by the founding lodges for their meetings and is also utilised by 7 other Masonic bodies of either English or Scottish jurisdiction, which pay rent for its use.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang_Masonic_Temple)

Penang Isle: Fort Cornwallis

Built during the British rule, Fort Cornwallis is the largest fort still remaining in Malaysia. This old star-shaped fort is situated at the north-eastern side of Penang island. The fort is named after Charles Cornwallis,  1st Marquess Cornwallis who was the Governor General of Bengal, India in the late 18th century.

Captain Sir Francis Light took possession of the island from the Sultan of Kedah in 1786 and built the original fort. It was a nibong (Malay: palm trunk) stockade with no permanent structures, covering an area of 417.6 square feet (38.80 m2). Despite the fort’s original purpose to serve the Royal artillery troops and the military, historically it was more for administrative purpose than defensive.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Cornwallis

Penang Isle: Church of the Assumption

The Church of the Assumption is located at Farquhar Street, George Town, Penang and it is nearby St George’s Cathedral. The Church of the Assumption was founded in 1786, when Captain Francis Light first came to Penang. It remained as the seat of the bishop of Penang from 1955-2003 and it is also a World Heritage Church.

In 1786, Captain Francis Light landed on Penang Island and named it Prince of Wales Island. He set up the Fort Cornwallis. In conjunction with their landing in Penang which coincides with the feast of the Assumption of The Blessed Mary on 15 August that year, he and his companions built a church and named it Church of the Assumption. It was the first Roman Catholic church in the northern region of Malaysia, as well as the first church built after the British landed in Penang. They went on to control Malaya later on.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Assumption_%28Penang%29)