Malaysia: Exploring the Penang heritage trail on foot

George Town in Penang is a living testament to the multicultural heritage of Asia as well as European colonial influences. As I stood in front of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy Temple, I noticed a small Hindu shrine and stalls of garland makers. Just a few meters away was a joss stick maker. Down the same street as the temple is the Anglican St. George's Church. As I walked towards the church, a call to prayer echoed from the minaret of a centuries-old mosque.

There are several ways to experience old Penang. I’ve tried out the trishaw with the driver serving as your guide. But to me, the best way to explore and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Penang is on foot.

As soon as I found a place to stay for the night and dropped my bags, I was off. Before you start, make sure you have a street map of George Town. There is a really good free map published by Areca Books which not only marks important architectural landmarks, but also some recommended food outlets, local crafts and trades, and places to shop for things that are uniquely Penang.

I tried to cover as much ground as I could given that I only had a day in Penang. But what is very obvious and commendable is that Penang's heritage has undergone a lot of restoration especially after its inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List last year.

Among the sites I got to visit were religious structures of various faiths. There's the Goddess of Mercy Temple (Buddhist & Taoist) which is Penang's foremost Chinese temple established in 1800; and the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple (Hindu) consecrated in 1833.

St. George's Church built in 1818 is Southeast Asia's first Anglican church. While the Church of the Assumption (Catholic) dates back to 1787. The current structure was built in 1860 and was elevated to a Cathedral in 1955.

Nagore Shrine is a Tamil Muslim shrine to the Saint of Nagore. While the Kapitan Keling Mosque (also Tamil Muslim) was founded in 1801. The Malay Mosque in Lebuh Aceh was founded in 1808.

Part 1: Bus trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Malaysia

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Malaysia: Bus trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Malaysia

Penang, Malaysia is a cultural gem. Exploring its narrow streets, one can feel the diversity of Malaysia.

The most convenient way to reach Penang by bus from Kuala Lumpur is to catch a bus to Butterworth. While there are buses to Penang, the Penang Bus Terminal is very far from the historic center of Georgetown. So it's best to take a bus to Butterworth, walk to the ferry terminal next door, and take the ferry to Penang which docks right in the historic center of Georgetown.

Right beside the Quan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Temple in historic George Town is a small Hindu shrine dedicated to Ganesh and stalls selling beautiful and intricate garlands to honor the gods. Beside the stalls are shops of joss stick makers. Further down the street from the temple is the Anglican St. George's Church. As I walked towards the church, a nearby mosque echoed its call to prayer from loudspeakers atop its minarets.

Such is the intricate fabric of Penang, a melting pot of Asian cultures, a city where centuries-old structures remain intact, standing as colorful testaments to the rich history of this trading city.

George Town, the historical core of Penang, is the other city inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Cities of the Straits of Malacca. Since I mentioned Melaka already, I felt it would be best to jump back two months and write about a recent trip to Penang.

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur on an evening flight from Bali. Since I didn’t want to waste time in transit, I decided to go straight to the Puduraya Bus Station to catch the first bus to Penang. By the time I arrived, the main terminal was closed and the only way to get on a bus was through agents moving around the area. Don’t worry, they’re not difficult to find since they would immediately approach you to sell bus tickets. I was worried at first since I wasn’t sure if they were for real. But when other locals got tickets, I felt a bit safer.

It was 12 midnight and the earliest bus was at 2 a.m. So I stayed in KFC while waiting. By 1:45 a.m., I decided to wait outside. At 2 a.m., no bus. To make the long story short, a bus finally passed by at 3 a.m. and we were ushered in by the agents. Bus schedules are non-existent in the wee hours of the morning since the agents simply rely on buses passing through KL (communicating with drivers by mobile) with space to take passengers in. The important thing is I arrived in Penang.

I was in Penang way back in 2003 and I remembered that the last stop of the buses was the KOMTAR Building in the center of town. Unfortunately, they moved the terminal several kilometers outside George Town. When you arrive, the only means of transportation that will greet you are taxis. But if you’re on a tight budget, you simply have to cross the street and get on a public bus that will take you to KOMTAR.

The better option, I would later learn, was to get off at Butterworth, the stop before Penang. The Butterworth Bus Station is right beside the ferry terminal. And the good thing about the ferry from Butterworth to George Town is that the terminal on the other side is right smack in the heritage area. So no need for costly taxis or long bus rides to get into town.

Part 2: Exploring the Penang heritage trail on foot

Related article
Following the heritage trail in Penang
Melaka, Malaysia is a historic city of the Straits of Malacca
More Straits Settlements history in Malacca

Malaysia: Following the heritage trail in Penang

The good thing about most Asian cities is that they have central bus terminals unlike Metro Manila where every bus company has its own terminal which, although clustered together in areas such as Pasay and Cubao, make transferring from one bus to another very inconvenient since the distance between each of them is quite far for a walk. Anyway, Kenneth had already purchased for me a round trip ticket to Penang (Pulau Pinang) at KL's Puduraya Bus Station. A one-way ticket for the five-hour trip on Transnasional was RM22.70 then.

I arrived in Penang at 5 a.m. which was good since I was able to save on hotel expenses. When I got there, it was still dark. I went straight to the hotel where I was booked and tried to get some more sleep.

Penang is also referred to as Pulau Mutiara which means Pearl of the Orient. I was actually surprised when I found out about this since we all thought the Philippines is the undisputed Pearl of the Orient. Well, if we weren't heavily bombed during the Second World War and if the City Government of Manila starts doing something to preserve what's left, there would be no contest. Today, the stunning architectural heritage of Penang is very much intact. In fact, Penang is working to put its capital George Town on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list which they hope would put Penang in a better position to protect her rich cultural heritage.

Established in 1857, George Town became the first city of Malaysia when Queen Elizabeth II granted it a city status by a royal charter on January 1, 1957. It was the only city in Malaysia until Kuala Lumpur was granted city status in 1972.

I was up at about 10 a.m. and started my walk around George Town. The good thing about George Town is that there are readily available brochures for do-it-yourself walking tours called the Penang Heritage Trail. The structures along the heritage trail were restored using a grant given by American Express. Here are the brochures for Penang Heritage Trail 1 and 2.

Among the interesting sites in the trail is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, an 1880s Chinese courtyard mansion which is distint for its cobalt blue walls. The restoration of the mansion from 1991 to 1995 was recognized in 2000 by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation as the Most Excellent Project of the Year. You can actually book a room in the mansion for a unique heritage homestay.

You also shouldn't miss the City Hall which was built in 1903 in the British Palladian architectural style. It currently houses the Penang Municipal Council Chambers and was listed as a national monument of Malaysia in 1982. Between 2004 and 2005, the Penang Municipal Council spent RM3.58 million (PHP54 million) for its restoration.

The most famous historical monument of Penang is the Khoo Khongsi which is called the Heritage Jewel of Penang. It is the clan association temple of the Leong San Tong (Dragon Mountain Hall) clan, whose forefathers came from the Sin Kang clan village in Hokkien province. Built in 1906 when the Khoo clan was at the height of its wealth and eminence in Penang society, the temple underwent a RM4.2 million (PHP63 million) restoration between 1999 and 2000.

I also got to visit the Residence of Ku Din Ku Meh, the Benggali Mosque, Cathedral of the Assumption, St. George's Church, Fort Cornwallis, the Town Hall and Yap Khongsi among other structures that day.

The next day, I continued my walking tour, walking as far as Wat Chayamangkalaram which was quite a distance from the downtown area. Along the way, I saw some elegant colonial country mansions!

Built in 1845, the temple is most know for its Reclining Buddha, the 3rd largest of its kind at 33 meters length. When I got there, they were raising funds to restore the tile roof and what they were doing was actually a good idea since visitors are requested to donate RM10 to sponsor one tile and you could write a dedication at the back of the tile.

I then walked back to the historic core where I hired a trishaw to tour me around. The driver knew the history of the different sites and I was impressed. I visited the Malay Mosque, Mahamariamman Temple, Syed Alatas Mansion, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kuan Ying Temple, Christian Cemetery, Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Penang Base and Hainan Temple before finally boarding the 5:30 p.m. bus back to Kuala Lumpur.

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Bus trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Malaysia
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