Lebuh Muntri
Muntri Street is a street that leads from Penang Road to Stewart Lane. It has one of the best-preserved façades of Straits Eclectic style houses.
Two of the major hospitals in Penang were founded here, namely Lam Wah Ee Hospital in 1883 and the Adventist Hospital in 1924. The original Lam Wah Ee Hospital building was destroyed during the Second World War, even though Muntri Street retains that memory among the Hokkiens, who call it Lam Wah Ee Kay, or Lam Wah Ee Hospital Street.
The original building for Adventist Hospital is still standing today, at the junction of Muntri Street and Leith Street, and today houses Lum Fong Hotel.
Muntri Street is said to have been named after the 19th Century Menteri of Larut, Ngah Ibrahim. It houses a few trade guilds of the bygone era, including the Penang & Province Wellesley Cafe Association formed by Hainanese coffeeshop owners, Penang Restaurants and Tea Shops Association, Penang Goldsmith Association, among others. Cantonese district associations also locate themselves here, including the Wooi Ning Wooi Koon. King Wan Association is a trade union for shopkeepers and clerks - the name "King Wan", which was chosen after the original association got banned, means "warning the stubborn".
75 Muntri Street was the home of famous 19th century Baba-Malay novelist Chan Kim Boon (1851-1920), who is better known by his pen name Batu Gantong. He earn his fame for translating Chinese classics into Baba Malay, a patois mixing market Malay with Hokkien, producing witty pieces that amused his local readership.
Sights along Muntri Street
Hainan Temple
Penang Goldsmith Association
Getting there
Muntri Street is not served by buses. The nearest bus stop is at Penang Road. You can reach Muntri Street by taking the Rapid Penang Free Shuttle Bus to Station No. 7 (Lebuh Muntri) and walk a short distance from Penang Road to Muntri Street. Alternatively, Rapid Penang bus 10, 11, 101, 103, 104, 201, 202, 203, U204, 206, 301 and 302 are among those that pass through Penang Road.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
| |
In Other Words ...
In Hokkien: Lam Wah Ee Kay (Lam Wah Ee Hospital Street), Sin Hailam Kongsi Kay (New Hainanese Clan Association Street)
|
Muntri Street Location Map
Muntri Street, between Penang Road and Leith Street (24 November 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Muntri Street roadsign (24 November 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Muntri Street plaque (24 November 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
|
Muntri Street, between Leith Street and Love Lane (24 November 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Nyonya tiles at a house in Muntri Street (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Straits Eclectic Houses of Muntri Street
Muntri Street has one of the best preserved Straits Eclectic houses in George Town. Now many of these houses are being carefully restored to reflect the early 20th century style of the time it was built. Shown here are a selection of the more interesting houses along Muntri Street. The date in brackets show when the photograph was taken, so these houses may have since been restored or repainted.
No. 19 Muntri Street: Dilapidated house with dark blue wall. Its doors are painted with the auspicious greetings. Bat-shaped air-vents. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 22 Muntri Street: Unrestored house with rust-color doors, window frames and air-vents. Wall painted white with green-red floral pattern. Flooring tiles of geometric design in maroon, light and dark green. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 44 Muntri Street: Restored house, rust-color doors, window frames and kidney-shaped air-vents. Wall painted torquoise, and floral tiles in dark green and pink. Patterned floor tiles in geometric design. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 47 Muntri Street: Tian Chin Hiang. Unadorned house with plain wooden door. Wall painted light blue. Floor tiles a geometric pattern of blue, red and white. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 52 Muntri Street: Restored house with dark wooden door and oval glass. Wall painted white with green tiles. Floor tiles a pattern of grey and red. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 53 Muntri Street: House in its original finishing, brown wooden door, semi-arch window frames, kidney-shaped air-vents. Wall painted white. Cement flooring. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 54 Muntri Street: Restored house, lacquered wooden door with gilded carvings, gilded filigree at sides and top. Kidney-shaped air-vents. Wall painted cream with green tiles. Floor tiles a pattern of brown, white and blue. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 58 Muntri Street: Restored house, lacquered wooden door with intricate gilded filigree. Auspicious greeting at inner door. Gilded window rails. Wall painted cream with patterned green-pink floral tiles. Kidney-shaped air-vents. Floor tiles an intricate pattern of brown, green and grey. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 60 Muntri Street: Ladies Tailoring Institute. Unrestored house. Door and window frames painted maroon. Kidney-shaped air vents. Walls painted white. Polished-cement flooring. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 66 Muntri Street: Unrestored house. Plain wooden doors painted green, bolted. Semi-arched window with frames and rectangular air-vents painted green. Wall painted white. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 71 Muntri Street: Partially restored house, lacquered wooden door with intricate gilded filigree. Window frames and air-vents painted maroon. Wall painted off-white, and white tiles with floral pattern. Floor tiles a checked pattern of brown and cream. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 73 Muntri Street: Partially restored house, pink wooden door frames with light pink panes. Window frames and air-vents painted pink. Wall painted white, and floral tiles in light blue. Plain terracotta tiles on floor. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 83 Muntri Street: Door painted cream with sky blue lining. Collapsible inner grill. Sky blue window frames and air-vents. Wall finished with dark pink tiles interspaced with dark blue pattern. Floor tiled in white-green pattern. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 84 Muntri Street: Stout iron gates painted dark brown. Auspicious greetings on inner door. Dark brown window frames and air-vents. Wall painted white, and torquoise tiles, interspaced with dark green tiles. Pattern floor tiles in shades of brown and other colors. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 85 Muntri Street: King Wan Association. Open doorway. Rectangular windows and air vents with frames painted green. Walls covered in tiny light bluish green tiles. Floor covered with tiny off-white tiles. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
No. 96 Muntri Street: Wooden door with collapsible grill. Lemon-green window frames and air-vents. Wall painted cream, and lemon-green tiles. Pattern floor tiles in maroon and grey. (7 July 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
|
|
