Sungai Ujong Road, George Town

Jalan Sungai Ujong

Sungai Ujong Road, or Jalan Sungai Ujong, is a road in the inner city of George Town. It links Prangin Road to Kimberley Street, after which it continues as Cintra Street. It has been around since the middle of the 19th century, with housing first in the form of attap, and eventually replaced by brick shophouses that we see today.

The common theory to how Sungai Ujong Road got its name is that it was derived from the place Sungai Ujong in Negri Sembilan. However, a more obscure and likely reason for this name is that Sungai Ujong translates into the vernacular Malay (bahasa pasar) as "end of river".

Sungai Ujong Road is at the tail end of the Prangin River, which once flowed out into the sea through the wetlands which were converted for cultivation in the early part of the 19th century. Until reclaimed and stabilized, the area from the sea all the way to Sungai Ujong Road was once wetlands or swampy ground. Eventually part of this land was turned into vegetable plots and paddy fields, hence the Hokkien name of Lamchan Na, meaning "wet paddy fields" for Carnarvon Street. The Prangin River is now a slow-flowing Prangin Canal, obscured for much of its course until the Sia Boey Market area.

Getting there

From the Komtar Bus Terminal, walk north along Jalan Ria until intersection with Prangin Road. Sungai Ujong Road is located directly across from Jalan Ria.