Various shots depicting old and heritage buildings scattered around the streets of George Town in Penang.
Penang Isle: Of Doors and Windows
Penang Isle: The Municipal Park
The Penang Municipal Park or commonly known as Youth Park here, is a huge recreational park which is made of gardens, a large football field, a skateboard ring, an amphitheatre, a foot reflexology path, jogging tracks, outdoor as well as indoor gyms. There’s also a small cafeteria within the park itself. Hiking trails can also be found around at the hilly area of the park.
The park can be accessed via a single one-way route, entering through Persiaran Kuari and is also located nearby the Botanical Garden. A shuttle service that goes to the Botanical Garden is also available at the car park of Youth Park.
Penang Isle: Old City Hall and Town Hall
The Penang Old City Hall and Town Hall are located next to each other at the Esplanade. The two buildings, also located at the World Heritage Site, are fine examples of British colonial buildings and architecture.
The Old City Hall was built in 1903 with a typical design of the British Palladian architecture during the British colonial era. The design of the Old City Hall is almost similar to the nearby Old Town Hall, which features the balcony as a main element overlooking the esplanade. The Old City Hall is currently houses the offices of the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP).
The Old Town Hall (as shown below) was once a premier site for social gathering and activities in George Town for the town’s European community and is also the oldest Municipal Building in Penang. The building’s foundation was first laid on 1st January 1879 by Lt. Governor Sir Archibald Edward Harbord Anson. The building was built over a land area of 70,711 square feet facing the famous Esplanade. Upon completion in 1880, the building was officiated by Frederick Weld, the then Governor of the Straits Settlements.
Penang Isle: The Cenotaph
The Cenotaph located at the Esplanade is a historical and heritage war memorial erected by the British empire. The cenotaph was unveiled by the Prince of Wales on 31 March 1922, at the Esplanade seafront to remember the losses during World War I battles.
The Penang Veterans Association also built another small monument besides the cenotaph to remember those killed in World War II, Siam-Burma Death Railway, Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation and the Reinsurgency period.
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/
