Places to Visit / Attractions Archives - Page 33 of 34

Penang Isle: Komtar Tower

As the sixth tallest building in Malaysia, the Komtar Tower located at the heart of George Town, is the most recognizable landmark of Penang. The building of the tower and its complex started in 1974 which was officiated by the late Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. The word KOMTAR is also a portmanteau of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak. Completed in 1988, the 65-storey tower is a 232 m (761 ft) 12-sided geometric block atop a 4-storey podium. The complex comprises office and retail commercial space as well as public and recreational facilities.

Penang Isle: Han Jiang Teochew Temple

The Han Jiang Teochew Temple is a Chinese temple located along Lebuh Chulia in George Town and right at the cross junction of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. It is the community temple of the Penang Teochew Association. Completed in 1870, the Hanjiang Ancestral Temple is the community temple of the Penang Teochew Association which was formed in 1855 by six Teochew migrants.

The temple has suffered from long years of wear and tear as well as neglect over the year until a special committee was then formed in 2002 to conduct a restoration project of the temple which was later completed in 2005. The temple is carefully restored in its unique old Chinese architecture and to reflect its history properly.

Penang Isle: National Park

The Penang National Park located at Teluk Bahang (or sometimes referred locally as ‘End of the World’) is the first protected area legally gazetted under the National Park Act of 1980, which signifies the State and Federal Governments’ efforts in protecting the environment. Also the smallest national park in the country, the park is unique due to its landscapes, wildlife and beaches. Teluk Bahang is a few kilometers further up from Batu Feringghi and the location of the National Forest is here.

Some of the the unique features of the park include meromictic lake, wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, coral reefs and turtle nesting beaches. The eight beaches located at the park are among the nicest beaches in the island due to their almost untouched nature. These beaches are Teluk Bahang, Teluk Tukun, Tanjung Aling, Teluk Duyung (Monkey Beach), Teluk Ketapang, Pantai Kerachut, Teluk Kampi and Pantai Mas. To get to the beaches, one can hike and walk up the jungle trails or alternatively hire a boat to reach there via the sea.

There is also a lighthouse in the park which is located at Muka Head and is accessible through the far end of Teluk Duyung. Built in 1883 at a cost of £37,929 by the British, it is located 242 metres (794 ft) above sea level.

Visitors will need to register (for free) before and after entering the park at the reception area as shown above. An information counter as well as public shower rooms are available there too.

The beach is also home to monitor lizards which like to take a stroll on the sands and swimming at the sea on sunny days.

The trees of the forst is also home to Dusky Leaf monkeys resting or swinging at the branches on sunny days.

Just in front of the National Park Office, is the nearby fishermen jetty where fishing boats dock and also where one can find boat-for-hire to travel by sea to the beaches located at the National Park area.

Penang Isle: Wat Buppharam Temple

The Buppharam Buddhist Temple (Wat Buppharam), located at Pulau Tikus in Penang, was built in the year 1942 by Luang Por Sri Keow, a Buddhist monk. The name Wat Buppharam is also known as Flower Temple. Various legendary and mythical figures of Buddhism and Taoisim origins can be found around the temple complex. The temple is well known for its ‘Lifting Buddha’, a 100-years old Buddha statue where worshippers seek answers or prayers from. Besides that, the temple also offers services such as providing protective amulets.

The temple recently has an official website at http://www.watbuppharam.com/.

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: Penang Hill

Penang Hill (or Bukit Bendera in Malay) is a hilltop area comprising a group of peaks and is located approximately 6 kilometres from the city centre of George Town. It stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area.

The most convenient way up to Penang Hill is by means of the Penang Hill Railway, a funicular railway from Ayer Itam district to the top of hill. Construction of the railway took place between 1906 to 1923, at a cost of 1.5 million Straits dollars. The railway was opened to the public on October 21, 1923. The 2,007 m (1 mile 435 yard) journey takes about half an hour and the train may stop at intermediate stations upon request.

In 2010, the hill railway service was upgraded and the old funicular trains were replaced by newer ones, which are air-conditioned as well as carrying heavier load. The new train is faster and does not stop halfway at the middle station of the hill (unlike the old one). The ride up to the top of the hill will take around 15 minutes.

For Malaysians, the fare for a return (round trip) ticket is RM8 per adult and RM4 per child aged between three and 12. For foreign tourists, the return fare would be RM30 for adults and RM15 for children aged seven to 12.

The old funicular train

The new train as shown above

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/.

George Town Street View: BEACH STREET (Lebuh Pantai)

The Beach Street in Penang is a busy street during the weekdays as it is also known as Penang’s banking or financial district. Rows of historical and heritage buildings converted into banks and financial institutions lined up the street. Most of these heritage buildings retain their old appearance and architecture despite being used as modern financial centers by their owners.

Being one of the oldest streets in Malaysia, Beach Street’s history stretches back to the founding of Penang island as a trading port. Prior to a land reclamation during the late 1800s to early 1900s, Beach Street was actually built along the coastline of eastern Penang island in the 1780s. Hence, the shape of the street was curved and it started from Pesara King Edward roundabout (north) all the way to C.Y. Choy Road (south).

Penang Isle: Acheen Street Mosque (Masjid Jamek Lebuh Acheh)

The Acheen Street Mosque located in Acheen Street, George Town (Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh / Masjid Jamek Lebuh Acheh) was founded by Tengku Syed Hussain Al-Aidid in 1808. The mosque is surrounded by rows of heritage shophouses, as well as a a cemetery including the mausoleum of Syed Hussain and his family, mid-19th Century town houses and an octagonal minaret. Being one of the oldest in Penang, the mosque complex depicts an early Muslim urban community in Penang comprising of the Malays, Indian Muslims, Arabs and the Achehnese.

Penang Isle: Reclining Buddha Temple (Wat Chayamangkalaram)

Situated opposite just across the road from the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple lies the Thai Reclining Buddha (or Sleeping Buddha) Temple. The world’s third longest reclining Buddha is built within the temple. Outside the temple walls, statues of mythical beings can be found just like the Burmese temple.

Google Map Link: Click Here