Penang Isle: Reclining Buddha Temple (Wat Chayamangkalaram)

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A Brief Intro

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.

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Penang Mainland: The Old Mengkuang Dam

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A Brief Intro

The Mengkuang Dam is the biggest dam in Penang with a storage capacity of about 23,639 million litres of water. Besides the obvious of providing water to the people, the dam serves as a recreational park with benches decorating along the waters as well as roads for joggers. The area provides an excellent view of waterscape and the surrounding hills. The dam is located at the mainland side of Penang, north-east of Butterworth town.

Penang Isle: Batu Maung Fishing Village and Admiral Cheng Ho Temple

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A fishing village at Batu Maung, Penang. The temple to the legendary Admiral Cheng Ho is also located at the shore, overlooking the village. Admiral Cheng Ho is commonly known as Sam Poh Kong by the locals here, and worshipped as a deity by fishermen.

Penang Isle: A Chinese Procession

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The ‘Tua Pek Kong” grand float procession was held by the management of Poh Hock Seah in 2010, the last of such event was held back in 1998. The procession was held once every 12 years (during the Tiger year of the Chinese zodiac).

Tua Pek Kong is one of the pantheon of Malaysian Chinese Gods. It was believed that Tua Pek Kong arrived in Penang 40 years before Francis Light’s arrival.

Penang Isle: Gurney Drive

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Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also one Penang’s most popular tourist destinations, famous for the “hawker food” sold from food stalls formerly located along the seafront, now relocated close by. Previously known as the New Coast Road, it was completed in 1936 along what was then known as the North Beach, and renamed in 1952 after Sir Henry Gurney, British High Commissioner in Malaya (1950-1951).

Over the years, the beaches along Gurney Drive have largely been lost to coastal erosion. More recently, a land reclamation project at nearby Tanjung Tokong has reversed the erosion, leading to the accretion of silt and mud off Gurney Drive. Mangrove saplings have sprouted in the mud, which is now frequented by egrets and other birds as well as mudskippers.

Penang Isle: The Botanical Garden

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The Penang Botanic Gardens, also known as the “Waterfall Gardens” because of the cascading waterfall nearby, is a public park situated on Jalan Air Terjun (Waterfall Road) in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia. The original gardens were established in 1884 from an old quarry site, under the supervision of Charles Curtis, who was the first superintendent.

Google Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WwSjgQ8rEzHfn5Vu7

Penang Isle: Ayer Itam Dam

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The Ayer Itam Dam is the first dam to be built in Penang and was officially opened in 1962 by the (then) Governor of Penang, TYT Y.M.Raja Tun Uda Al-Haj bin Raja Muhammad. Besides being one of the water sources of the island, the dam is also a popular recreation area with the locals.

Penang Isle: Old Central Fire Station

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This Beach Street fire station was opened for operations in 1909, one of the only two fire stations on the island at that time.  Before this, the policemen were the only paid force on call to put out fires. It is also considered as a landmark in the area with its four-storey tower which was designed and built with both western and mughal influences.

Penang Isle: The Standard Chartered Bank

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The Standard Chartered Bank of Penang is an old building dated back during the British Colonization with British Palladian architecture. The bank is located at Beach Street, Georgetown, the island’s ‘financial district’.

The Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. The design was briefly popular in Britain during the 17th to 18th century.

Penang Isle: The CHEW Jetty

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A Brief Info

The CHEW Jetty is a settlement of wooden houses built on stilts and the name “CHEW” is the surname (the first name) of the residences and that’s where the name was derived. Migrant’s families with this surname would live together in this area. The CHEW jetty is now one of the popular tourist attractions on the island. Wooden platforms connect the houses supported by stilts on the waters. Visitors can even go for a homestay at the village for an unique experience.