Chinatown of George Town

Armenian Street, within the George Town Heritage Enclave (22 May 2011)


Although George Town can be described today as predominantly Chinese city, there are three separate areas of George Town that can be described as Chinatown. They developed over different periods of the city's history, and can be called the Old Chinatown, New Chinatown and Chinese Trades Neighbourhood. Apart from these three, the Seven Streets Precinct and Armenian Street, within the Penang Heritage Enclave are also today predominantly Chinese neighbourhoods of George Town.

The various Chinatown enclaves of George Town did not grow at a single burst, but developed slowly over time. The New Chinatown, for example, occupies an area of town which was initially Indian in character, while the Chinese Trades Neighbourhood did not materialize until land reclamation of the late 19th century.

View Chinatown, George Town, Penang in a larger map

Old Chinatown

This is the oldest Chinatown of George Town. It is also probably the oldest part of urban area in Malaysia (and Singapore) to be continuously occupied by a predominantly Chinese community.

Old Chinatown is quite small, and in parts it overlaps with Little India. In its original form, Old Chinatown follows the route of China Street, from Beach Street to Pitt Street, where the early Chinese community positioned their main temple, the Kuan Im Teng. Originally, it lay side-by-side to the European and Eurasian town to the north, as marked by Church Street, and Little India to the south, as marked by Market Street.

Pinang Peranakan Mansion along Church Street in the New Chinatown (3 August 2011)


By the late 19th century, the role of the Indian community in George Town was diminishing just as the city saw an influx of Chinese immigrants that spilled out China Street into auxiliary streets such as King Street and parts of Bishop Street. Most of the new arrivals or sin₃kheh₃, as the Straits-born Chinese would call them, were Cantonese, Hakka and Hainanese. They took over parts of town originally owned by the Indian and Hokkiens.

The Hokkien community of George Town, enjoying a wave of prosperity in the third quarter of the 19th century, began developing an area of George Town that was originally Malay or Acheenese in character. This area, between Acheen Street and Armenian Street, saw the construction of the most opulent Hokkien clan temples. This area is today celebrated as the George Town Heritage Enclave.

Campbell Street in the New Chinatown of George Town, Penang (30 August 2012)

New Chinatown

The New Chinatown is the result of a massive influx of new Chinese arrivals to George Town - particularly between 1884 and 1885, when the Chinese population of the city almost doubled - that the original Chinatown could not contain. By then, the wealthier Hokkiens were already moving out of Old Chinatown to reestablish themselves in the Armenian Street area. The Hokkiens were mainly a business community comprising wholesalers and merchants. They established their businesses in the newly reclaimed land between Beach Street and Weld Quay, which is today the Chinese Trades Neighbourhood.

The influx of working-class Cantonese (and even some Japanese) into George Town in the 3rd and 4th quarter of the 19th century kept themselves apart from the Hokkien community. They took over areas previously occupied by the Indians, just as Little India was shrinking. As a result, the Anglo-Indian architecture of Chulia Street were over time replaced by brick shophouses belonging to the Chinese who are mostly from Guangdong and Hainan Provinces of China. These communities established themselves in the trades; the Cantonese were the tailors, carpenters, goldsmiths and ironmongers while the Hainanese established food businesses, particularly the chicken rice business.

Kuala Kangsar Road in the New Chinatown (30 July 2012)


The area occupied by the new Chinese arrivals became the New Chinatown. Today "New" Chinatown is over a hundred years old. Originally it included a Japanese sub-community occupying part of Cintra Street since the late 19th century. This has been totally erased with the defeat of the Japanese in the Second World War, which caused mounting hostility to the small Japanese community of George Town.

By the late 19th century, some of the new arrivals, particularly the Hakkas, were striking it rich in George Town. They relocate to their own suburban enclaves, originally along Leith Street and later on along Northam Road. These became the "millionaire rows" of George Town.

Chinese Trades Neighbourhood

The Chinese Trades Neighbourhood is a Chinese merchantile precinct which developed towards the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century. This area was created out of reclaimed land after the shore was extended outward, creating the Clan Jetty neighbourhood at its outer fringes.

The Chinese Trades Neighbourhood is where the Chinese community of George Town conducts most of their businesses. A predominantly Hokkien community, they are mostly businessmen and merchants. Their workforce comprise the coolies and other workers living in either the Clan Jetties (also a predominantly Hokkien community) and Sia Boey .

The main artery through this neighbourhood is Beach Street supported by Victoria Street and Weld Quay.

Chinese Trades Neighbourhood of Beach Street, George Town (30 June 2012)


The Hokkien traders affiliate themselves into clan associations according to their ancestral clans. These clans establish their offices and temples in the area now known as the Penang Heritage Enclave.

Street Art

The steel-rod sculpture entitled "Same Taste, Same Look" celebrates the Cantonese part of the George Town Chinatown.

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