Held annually at the heritage area of George Town, the Chinese New Year festival and celebration in Penang usually attracts a huge turnout of visitors. Various cultural performances and events (such as lion dance, traditional opera, heritage show, etc) are being held at the festival.
Kek Lok Si will be lighted up at night for a month in view of the Chinese New Year.
Wall mural at the Cheah Kongsi, Armenian Street in George Town.
A trishaw approaching the old Kuan Yin Temple.
The Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Centre is located at Macalister Road, George Town and is housed within the Penang Philomatic Union building (also the building’s former name). It was said that the Penang Philomatic Union was founded by a political party supporting Dr Sun Yat-sen (the founder of Republic of China) in 1908, and had provided some of the staunchest supporters of his cause for a Free World. Dr Sun Yat-sen also reportedly conducted his first speech in Penang at this building.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is a historical and cultural rich building located along Leith Street in George Town, Penang. A winner of multiple historical and heritage awards including the ‘Most Excellent project’ Award at the UNESCO Heritage Awards 2000, the blue mansion is one of the most visited and a definite tourist destination in Penang. The mansion is said to be one of the two of its kind outside China which also features architecture design of both Chinese and Western influences. The mansion was built by a famous Chinese merchant in 1880s named Cheong Fatt Tze and it has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases with 220 vernacular timber louvre windows.
The mansion now serves as both a museum (with guided group tours) and a boutique hotel at the heart of Penang’s heritage zone. There is a daily guided heritage tours of the house in English (11am / 1.30pm / 3pm) with an admission fee RM 12 per person. For more information, please visit its official page HERE.
An old hotel located along the five-foot way at Stewart Lane.
Penang Ta Kam Hong (or translated as Penang Goldsmith Association) is the oldest Chinese goldsmith association in Malaysia which was founded in the 1800s at Muntri Street, George Town. Most of its goldsmith members are of Cantonese descent and they generally worship Wu Ching, the patron deity of goldsmiths within the association’s guild temple.
The large art mural of the ‘Girl in Blue’ drawn by Ernest Zacharevic can be found on the side wall of a neighboring house of the association.
The newly renovated Kuan Yin Temple at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (or formerly Pitt Street). Locally known as ‘Kuan Yin Teng’ (literally Kuan Yin’s Pavillion), this old temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, who is the Goddess of Mercy according to Chinese belief.
The Cantonese Tua Pek Kong Temple located along King Street of George Town’s Heritage Zone is an old Taoist temple was built by the local Chinese communities during 18th century. Tua Pek Kong, literally “Grand Uncle”, is worshiped as the god of prosperity by the Chinese.