“Walking is a virtue, tourism is a deadly sin.”
― Bruce Chatwin, What Am I Doing Here?
...........and who was it who said that the best way of getting to know a city is by walking? In Georgetown Penang,it sure is a good idea to go on a walking tour.The Historic city's Core Zone is only 109.38 hectares and it's packed with attractions. Founded 200 years ago and awarded the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE status in 2008, the city has an impressive collection of historic building showcasing the heritage of Penang's various ethnic groups: Chinese,Indians,Arabs,malays,Siamese,Burmese and Europens.
This place is diverse.Feast your eyes with heritage houses,museums,government buildings from one block after another.We woke up late the next day (despite knowing we have less than 24 hours in Penang,it's just too difficult to wake up early when you are very tired going around the night before.) So we dropped the idea of going up Penang Hill and walked around Georgetown instead.
Here are some of our interesting finds........
Walking Tour of GEORGETOWN Core Zone
Hainan Temple
The temple was founded in 1866 and is dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers,the goddess Mar Chor.The present building was built in 1895,restored in 1995.
Open Daily: 8am-8pm
Penang State Museum
Almost destroyed in World War 2 bombing,the building houses a vast collection of Penang historic artifacts
St.George Church
Built between 1817 and 1818,it is considered as the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia.
Cathedral Of The Assumption
The history of the Church is as old as the Church itself.It was set up not long after the landing of Francis Light and the arrival of the Eurasians from Kedah on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption.It was awarded the status of a Cathedral in 1955.
Penang High Court Building
The Penang High Court premises were originally erected in 1903 as the Penang Supreme Court standing on the same grounds as the original courthouse dating back to 1809.Designated as National Heritage un 2005,the court buildings underwent major restoration work in 2007 during which an adjacent three-storey annex was added.
Penang City Hall
Built in 1903.It is the headquarters of the Penang Island Municipal Council.A World War 1 monument for fallen soldiers is also located here.Beside it is the Penang Town Hall.
Penang Town Hall
It used to be the social venue of Penang's elite back in the 1800's.It's classical colonial elegance was the backdrop for a scene in the movie 'Anna and the King'.
Fort Cornwallis
It was built when Captain Francis Light first landed on Penang.This ancient centinel of Georgetown stands guard over the island's cape.
Open Daily:9am-7pm
READ A SEPARATE ENTRY HERE: http://www.pusangkalye.net/2012/09/the-legend-of-sri-rambai-cannon-at-fort.html
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
The 60-feet clock tower was commissioned by the wealthy Cheah Chen Eok.It was built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.Each foot height represents a year in the Queen's reign.
Penang Peranakan Mansion
The old mansion,former home of Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee,showcases 1,000 antiques and collectibles depicting the life of the Straits Chinese,or Peranakan as they were locally known.The richly decorated mansion is also a popular filming location for movies and television series.
Visiting hours: 9:30am-5pm daily
READ A SEPARATE ENTRY HERE:
http://www.pusangkalye.net/2012/10/pinang-peranakan-mansion-overwhelming.html
Goddess of Mercy Temple
The temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin,the goddess of mercy.The first foundation was laid in 1728 by Chinese settlers and completed in 1800.
READ A SEPARATE ENTRY HERE:
http://www.pusangkalye.net/2012/10/the-goddess-of-mercy-temple-our-last.html
It was here in Goddess of Mercy Temple where we concluded our short Walking tour of Georgetown.We went inside for a while then asked our Trishaw driver to take us back to Old Penang Guest House.We immediately packed our things and headed back to Kuala Lumpur.
PS: the photo above showing two people riding the bicycle made me think that it might be possible to rent a bicycle around Georgetown.Possible pala!I made a research upon returning home and learned that it's cheaper.If you know how to bike,it will be faster too! http://www.metrobike.com.my/Prod_rental_vehicles.asp
― Bruce Chatwin, What Am I Doing Here?
...........and who was it who said that the best way of getting to know a city is by walking? In Georgetown Penang,it sure is a good idea to go on a walking tour.The Historic city's Core Zone is only 109.38 hectares and it's packed with attractions. Founded 200 years ago and awarded the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE status in 2008, the city has an impressive collection of historic building showcasing the heritage of Penang's various ethnic groups: Chinese,Indians,Arabs,malays,Siamese,Burmese and Europens.
This place is diverse.Feast your eyes with heritage houses,museums,government buildings from one block after another.We woke up late the next day (despite knowing we have less than 24 hours in Penang,it's just too difficult to wake up early when you are very tired going around the night before.) So we dropped the idea of going up Penang Hill and walked around Georgetown instead.
Here are some of our interesting finds........
Walking Tour of GEORGETOWN Core Zone
From our accommodation in Love Lane,we took Lebuh Farquihar by foot,turned to Lebuh Light via kapitan Keling, then to Jalan Padang which landed us to the City Hall and eventually in Fort Cornwallis.We felt tired after Fort Cornwallis and realized we were running out of time so we took the Trishaw from there to three other locations. The Trishaw ride cost us RM30 which is the hourly rate. Should we have taken the Trishaw earlier,we could have covered more areas. :)
Some of the photos you see below without descriptions were the one's we visited the day before right after having a meal at the Red Garden along Leith Street. http://www.pusangkalye.net/search/label/Red%20Garden%20Food%20Paradise
Hainan Temple
The temple was founded in 1866 and is dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers,the goddess Mar Chor.The present building was built in 1895,restored in 1995.
Open Daily: 8am-8pm
Almost destroyed in World War 2 bombing,the building houses a vast collection of Penang historic artifacts
St.George Church
Built between 1817 and 1818,it is considered as the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia.
Cathedral Of The Assumption
The history of the Church is as old as the Church itself.It was set up not long after the landing of Francis Light and the arrival of the Eurasians from Kedah on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption.It was awarded the status of a Cathedral in 1955.
Penang High Court Building
The Penang High Court premises were originally erected in 1903 as the Penang Supreme Court standing on the same grounds as the original courthouse dating back to 1809.Designated as National Heritage un 2005,the court buildings underwent major restoration work in 2007 during which an adjacent three-storey annex was added.
Penang City Hall
Built in 1903.It is the headquarters of the Penang Island Municipal Council.A World War 1 monument for fallen soldiers is also located here.Beside it is the Penang Town Hall.
It used to be the social venue of Penang's elite back in the 1800's.It's classical colonial elegance was the backdrop for a scene in the movie 'Anna and the King'.
Fort Cornwallis
It was built when Captain Francis Light first landed on Penang.This ancient centinel of Georgetown stands guard over the island's cape.
Open Daily:9am-7pm
READ A SEPARATE ENTRY HERE: http://www.pusangkalye.net/2012/09/the-legend-of-sri-rambai-cannon-at-fort.html
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
The 60-feet clock tower was commissioned by the wealthy Cheah Chen Eok.It was built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.Each foot height represents a year in the Queen's reign.
Penang Peranakan Mansion
The old mansion,former home of Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee,showcases 1,000 antiques and collectibles depicting the life of the Straits Chinese,or Peranakan as they were locally known.The richly decorated mansion is also a popular filming location for movies and television series.
Visiting hours: 9:30am-5pm daily
READ A SEPARATE ENTRY HERE:
http://www.pusangkalye.net/2012/10/pinang-peranakan-mansion-overwhelming.html
Goddess of Mercy Temple
The temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin,the goddess of mercy.The first foundation was laid in 1728 by Chinese settlers and completed in 1800.
READ A SEPARATE ENTRY HERE:
http://www.pusangkalye.net/2012/10/the-goddess-of-mercy-temple-our-last.html
PS: the photo above showing two people riding the bicycle made me think that it might be possible to rent a bicycle around Georgetown.Possible pala!I made a research upon returning home and learned that it's cheaper.If you know how to bike,it will be faster too! http://www.metrobike.com.my/Prod_rental_vehicles.asp
So many things to see,so little time.We covered only a small area in around 3 hours but I felt like it was an overload of overwhelming sights.We missed many other places of interests that I have in my to-see list like the Clan jetties, Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, Khoo Kongsi,Mahamariamman Temple,Wat Chayamangkalaram and Dharmikarama Burmese Temple among others.That means there's a lot more things to look forward to in our next visit.If this is just a taste of Penang,it sure left a very good impression on us.We want to come back for more!!!!
This post is part of my Malaysia2.0 Series:Feel free to read the rest of the entries HERE:
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kala ko ung unang pic ee sa vigan haha anyways gaganda ng mga buildings parang doll house
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