Lebuh Pantai
Beach Street or Lebuh Pantai is one of the oldest roads to be laid in George Town, Penang. It was built as early as 1786 or 1787, subsequent to Light Street, to be the main commercial street of the newly established George Town. Beach Street is older and has been around longer than many of the towns on the Malayan Peninsula including Singapore, Taiping, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. Unlike arrow-straight Light Street, Beach Street was built to follow the curve of the beach, which was then right beside it. The result, as can be seen to this day, is a meandering street as it makes its way towards the southern hinterland.
Late 18th Century
Beach Street, in its earliest incarnation, was a coastal road. On one side were the earliest commercial houses, mostly of wood and attap, none of which survived to this day. On the other side was the sea, or pockets of mangrove that have not been thoroughly cleared. Punctuating the coastline were piers that ran out into the sea, so that arriving ships could berth. At regular intervals were stone steps that reached down into the water. These were wharves for sampans and small perahus to berth, from where goods were off loaded and passengers disembarked. These stone steps, called "ghauts", after the ghats in India, were to increase in number as the city spread southwards. The ghats in Varanasi provide an idea of how Beach Street would look like at the turn of the 19th Century.
Opposite the ghauts, perpendicular to Beach Street, new roads were built inland. As with the buildings on Beach Street itself, the earliest structures along these off-roads were of wood and attap. Among them was the Catholic church which gave its name to Church Street, before it moved to Farquhar Street, and is still there, as the Church of the Assumption. The Presbytery of the bishop of the Church of the Assumption gave its name to Bishop Street, which was the closest street off Beach Street from the European quarter at Light Street.
The Chinese settled along what is now called China Street. It runs from their earliest temple, the Kuan Yin Teng, right to the ghaut at water's edge in Beach Street. As their temple sat on a knoll looking down towards the sea, the early Chinese regarded it as good feng shui, and they built their attap houses on both sides of China Street.
The Chinese community, which never had much regard over what the colonial masters called the street, came up with their own naming. This often reflect the character of each particular section of the street. See the blue table on the right for the different names of Beach Street.
Early to Mid 19th Century
Land reclamation between 1880 and 1904 created the George Town that we know today, forever changing the character of Beach Street. Although it is no longer right at the beach, it still retains the name. The mid 19th Century, from 1850 to 1900, was a prosperous time for George Town. The discovery of tin in Larut, Perak fueled an economic boom. Tin ore was transported to Penang where it was smelted and shipped. The resulting prosperity created jobs, and with that, an influx of cheap labour from China and India. The land reclamation of the seaward side of Beach Street extended the shore outward, and on the newly reclaimed land sprouted the new commercial district of George Town.
Late 19th Century to turn of 20th Century
The northernmost part of Beach Street was occupied by European commercial interest. The Hokkiens called this section Ang Mor Thau Kor Kay, meaning "White Men's Commercial Street". While the buildings fronting Beach Street acted as shop fronts, extending behind them were warehouses (called "godown", after the Malay word "gudang"). For that reason, Beach Street became known as Jalan Gudang (not Jalan Gedung, despite it documented as such in some books and on the Historic Blue Plaques) in Malay in the late 19th Century, before becoming Jalan Pantai today.
As we move south, the character of Beach Street evolved. As we approached Che Em Lane, it started to develop a Subcontinent character, which comes into full blast at Market Street, one of the main streets of Penang's Little India. Continuing south, past the Chulia Street junction, Beach Street enters the heart of the Chinese commercial district. This is where the Chinese traders had their trading offices and warehouses, and this continues till today. Until Victoria Street was created just before the 20th Century, many of those Chinese shophouses on the seaward side of Beach Street extended right to the shore in the form of godowns. These were cut short by the creation of Victoria Street.
Between 1786 and today (late 2008), Beach Street has existed for over two hundred years, yet almost half of that time, it remained an unpaved road. It was only in 1894 that a short section of Beach Street, between Union Street and Bishop Street were tarred, the first road in Penang to receive such a treatment. It was an expensive endeavour not to be implemented for another 10 years.
Also around the same time, Beach Street was widened. The widening came to an abrupt stop where the Ghee Hiang biscuit company is located. There was no clear explanation why the widening stopped there, except perhaps the section beyond that point belonged to the Chinese who objected to demolishing their shop front for the widening.
Early to mid 20th Century
Due to the importance of Beach Street, most of the buildings, especially those on the northernmost section, are quite new. As you walk down Beach Street today, you will see the majority of them were built during the late 19th century or later. Many of these have Art Deco façades, which meant the buildings were built in the early 20th Century, or that the façades were added to older buildings when Art Deco became fashionable.
21st Century
Beach Street continued to retain its European character right up to the mid 20th Century. After independence, as the activities of the harbor declined, the godown along Beach Street became unutilized. Many fell into neglect, and some still stand forlorn today, waiting for a more glorious tomorrow.
As George Town itself was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, I hope that will generate an interest to redevelop and readapt these heritage warehouses for 21st Century use. Already the commercial buildings along Beach Street were undergoing restoration, namely Kongsoon House, 1886 Building, Whiteways & Laidlows, to name a few.
Beach Street continues to play an important role as the main banking street of George Town. Most banks have a branch or even their regional head office on Beach Street or any of its off-roads, chiefly Bishop Street. As you explore Beach Street, note the architectural style. Apart from the modern office blocks, the older buildings are in either Art Deco or Neoclassical style. In between the buildings fronting Beach Street are alleyways through which you catch a glimpse of an unused godown.
Getting there
From the Weld Quay Bus Terminal, use the pedestrian bridge to cross Pengkalan Weld. Turn right, walk a short distance down Pengkalan Weld to the junction of Gat Lebuh China. Turn left, walk the length of Gat Lebuh China, and you will arrive at Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai).
Alternatively, you can also reach Beach Street by taking the Rapid Penang Free Shuttle Bus to Station No. 3 (Little India) and Station No. 4 (Imigresen).
Self Guided Tour
Explore Beach Street on your own using our free Upper Beach Street Walking Tour. Sights along the way are detailed on the tour.
Sights along Beach Street
The following are heritage buildings and significant structures along Beach Street. Sights marked with ( * ) are of considerable interest and sights marked with ( * * ) are of major interest.
Immigration Department
Islamic Council Building
HSBC Building
Standard Chartered Building
Logan's Building
Whiteways & Laidlow Building
Saw Seng Kew Building
India House
Kongsoon House
1886 Building
Old OCBC Building
Thio Thiaw Siat Building
George Town Dispensary
Ban Hin Lee Bank Building
Ghee Hiang
Immigration Department
Tan Kongsi *
Nearby Sights
Fort Cornwallis * *
Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse *
Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower * *
State Assembly Building
Pinang Fountain
Pinang Peranakan Mansion *
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In Other Words ...
In Hokkien:
Between Light St. to China St.: Ang Mor Thau Kor Kay (European Commercial Street)
Between China St. to Chulia St.: Kang'a Kh'au (Harbor Front - before land reclamation)
Between Chulia St. to Armenian St.: Tiong Kay (Middle Street)
Between Armenian St. to Acheen St.: Tuan Lo-Sin Kay (Tengku Syed Hussain's Street)
Between Acheen St. to Malay St.: Phah Thee Kay (Ironmonger's Street)
Between Malay St. to Prangin Canal: Sia Boey (Town's End)
In Malay:
Northern section: Jalan Gudang or Jalan Gedung (Warehouse Road)
Southernmost section: Hujung Pasir (Sand's End)
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Beach Street Location Map
The Ghats of Varanasi, similar to those that existed along Beach Street in the early 19th century (16 November 2004) © Timothy Tye
Beach Street plaque (22 November 2008) © Timothy Tye
Beach Street at Ghee Hiang shows the road before and after widening (25 November 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Ang Mor Thau Kor Kay, or European Commercial Street, name given
by the Hokkiens to the northern part of Beach Street (25 November 2008) © Timothy Tye
The yellow pavement at Church Street Ghaut marks the approximate location of the stone steps that lead down from Beach Street to the water's edge during the early 19th century. (22 November 2008) © Timothy Tye
The Sia Boey section of Beach Street (4 December 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
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