Penang heritage sites are one of the most numerous in Malaysia. With the inscription of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008, garnering much prestige for Penang, more attention will certainly be paid to its many heritage sites.
The heritage sites of Penang encompass buildings constructed by the British during the colonial era, clan temples of the various Chinese clan associations, religious structures including temples, mosques, churches and shrines, and other structures, including pre-war shophouses within the inner city.
In Penang Travel Tips, I am working to document all the heritage buildings of George Town, digging up old records and making documentation of the buildings and houses, so that their history will never be forgotten. I am encouraged to see more people beginning to appreciate heritage and are paying attention to conversation issues in inner cities. The list on this page represent just a small proportion of the heritage sites within George Town. I am still working to add more into the list. Check back often for new additions.
How are streets in Old George Town numbered
The streets in Old George Town (the original grid bounded by Beach Street, Light Street, Pitt Street and Chulia Street) are numbered from Beach Street towards Pitt Street. As a result, when these streets were extended, a decision was taken to name the extensions after the ghauts (the stone steps leading down the shore) they replaced. In that way, the numbering for the extended streets can start anew without having to revise the existing numbering. For example, the numbering of China Street and China Street Ghaut start from Beach Street going in opposite directions.
When describing the historic buildings in George Town, I try to number ensembles of buildings from left to right, as seen from the street, as far as possible. By reading the ascending or descending number, you will be able to determine the direction that the numbering was done. As this was decided after I started writing, some of the articles will not consistently follow the rule.
To help people get to know Penang heritage sites better, we have created the George Town Walking Tours, enabling visitors and anybody interested in Penang to walk the streets and get to know their history. These walking tours are provided free and can be used by tour guides as they are, or form a basis for their own itineraries of George Town.
Hello and thank you for using Penang Travel Tips. My name is Timothy Tye. I am the author of this website and a property specialist based in Penang, Malaysia. My team of real estate agents and I assist individuals and businesses transact medium to high end properties, those costing from RM500,000 and above. We help people buy, sell, rent and let out apartments, condominiums, houses, shops, buildings, hotels and land. If you need professional assistance to buy, sell or rent properties in Penang, please call or whatsapp me at 012 4299844. Meet my team below.
I believe in helping people make informed property decisions based on knowledge, not only about the property, but about the entire town and everything else around it. To that end, I created this website, which is today one of the largest websites providing free place information about Malaysia and Singapore, and in particular, about Penang. I hope the information I assembled will benefit you in whichever way you need to use it.
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