Magazine Circus

Magazine Circus is the traffic junction in front of Komtar, where Magazine Road meets Penang Road. The name refers to a six-pointed roundabout that used to be there. It was known to the Malays as Simpang Enam, and to the Hokkiens as Goh Pah Teng, or "Five Lanterns", in reference to a lamp post with five lamps located at the roundabout.

Until the mid 20th century, Magazine Circus was the meeting point of six major roads in George Town, namely Penang Road, Gladstone Road, Magazine Road, Brick Kiln Road, Dato Kramat Road and Macalister Road. It is also the northwestern tip of the Seven Streets Precinct.

Due to its strategic location, Magazine Circus is regarded as the "Charing Cross" of George Town, that is to say, the centrepoint of the city from where all distances are measured. Today the roundabout, or "circus", has been replaced by a junction. Penang Road, Magazine Road and Brick Kiln Road have been turned into one-way streets. Brick Kiln Road has been renamed Jalan Gurdwara. Gladstone Road was erased when Komtar was developed. Even the very existence of Magazine Circus is no longer familiar to the locals.

Click for list of Penang Localities

Magazine Circus Location Map

View Magazine Circus in a larger map

Magazine Circus, as seen from Komtar (16 May 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Magazine Circus, viewed towards Komtar (8 August 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Compare prices of Hotel Room Rates in Penang

Use this search engine to find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. You'd be glad to do your homework!

Find a hotel

New York City
Bangkok
Amsterdam

Guests:

Rooms:

Local Tours in Penang

It is often more practical to book your tours online. You have the luxury of time to go through what are the tours you intend to take, rather than having to make a decision on your feet. Check out the local tours in Penang that you can book online. The tours are provided by Viator, a reputable international tour company.

Arrange Airport Transfer

If you are coming to Penang, you can arrange airport transfer from airport to city in advance. A van will be waiting for you to pick you at the airport. This service is very useful and cost effective if you are arriving as a group.

Follow me on Twitter

Please link to me!

If you enjoy exploring Penang and getting to know its places of interest, place a link from your website or blog to Penang Travel Tips. Let Penang Travel Tips be your window to everything Penang! It is as easy as copying the source code below and pasting it on your site:

Return to Penang Travel Tips homepage

What's up at my other websites: Asia Explorers, World Greatest Sites, Flowering Garden, and Earth Documentary

Penang Travel Tips is written by the Happy Jobless Guy

Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.