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 1. Fort Cornwallis
Welcome
to the American Express - Penang Heritage Trail. Fort Cornwallis stands at
the very tip of the cape of George Town. Today, it is a privately - managed
cultural venue which can be visited for a small admission fee. The ramparts
overlook the harbour in the North Channel and the port activities which extend
along the eastern waterfront.
At the northwestern point
of the fort is a Dutch cannon from 1603, called the Seri Rambai. Local women
place flowers on the barrel in supplication for improved fertility. In 2000,
the fort was restored and part of the moat was reinstated.
State Assembly Buildings
Along the southern side of the field or Padang, are the State Assembly buildings
along Lebuh Light. This handsome ensemble of buildings, with Greek porticos
date from the mid-19th century, formerly served as the Police Courts.
From the Fort, you can
walk along the Esplanade towards the City Hall which is just across the Padang.
The Esplanade is popular among locals for evening strolls. At the City Hall
end there is a seaside hawker centre.
 2. City Hall
The majestic
City Hall is the jewel in the Municipal Council's crown. The Council Chamber,
where the 24 Municipal Councillors regularly convene, is located on the ground
floor. The small monument you see on the Esplanade is the Cenotaph, a memorial
to victims of World War 1.
 3. Town Hall
The Town
Hall, like the City Hall, has a balcony that overlooks the Padang. In olden
days, the elite used to gather on the balconies of the Municipal Council
buildings to view the processions and games held below
The exquisite 19th century
fountain next to the Town Hall is one of Penang's many Victorian memorials.
Koh Seang Tat, who donated the fountain, lived behind the Town Hall in a
grand mansion which once stood at the site of the present Dewan Sri Pinang.
He entertained the Duke
of Edinburgh in 1869, and thereafter his residence was called Edinburgh House
and the road leading to it was named Duke Road. From the fountain, follow
the broad grey sidewalk, keeping to the right side of Lebuh Light.
 4. Court Buildings
The
Court Buildings today house the High Courts. Logan's Monument is located
in the grounds. The dedication proclaims Logan, who died in 1869, as "an
erudite and skillful lawyer, an eminent scientific ethnologist" who has "founded
literature for these settlements".
Apart from being a fearless
advocate, the prolific intellectual was also the editor of the Pinanq Gazette
and founder of the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia in
27 volumes, also called Logan's journals.
 Convent Light Street
At the end of the road is the Convent Light St, or Convent of the Holy Infant
Jesus, a girls' school established by a French Sisters' Mission in 1852.
Within the walled complex is one of the oldest buildings in George Town,
the bungalow of Francis Light which dates back to around 1793. As the seat
of the Penang Government in the early 19th century, it was called the "Government
House".
Stamford Raffles, founder
of Singapore, worked here from 1805 to 1810 as Deputy Secretary to the Governor
of Penang. The Convent which took over the site then added a chapel, cloisters
for the Sisters, an orphanage, a boarding house for student boarders and
many classrooms. Today, it is the most important inner city school in Penang
and the oldest school complex in the country, having remained on this site
for almost one and a half centuries.
Follow the wall of the
Convent around the corner to Lebuh Farquhar and cross the road at the overhead
pedestrian bridge.
 5. State Museum
 As
you walk around the Court Buildings, you will see a building with twin towers
- this is the Cathedral of the Assumption built in 1860.
Your next stop is the State
Museum, which grants admission for RM1. The Museum only occupies half a building,
as the eastern half was destroyed in World War 11 bombing.
The statue of Francis Light
which stands in front of the Museum was modelled after a portrait of his
son, William Light, founder of Adelaide. The Penang Heritage Trust Museum
shop operates from a former Penang Hill Railway Carriage.
 St. George's Church
The St. George's Church dating from 1818 stands at the corner of Lebuh Farquhar
and jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. The edifice was designed by Captain Robert
Smith, a military engineer whose oil paintings of early Penang are displayed
in the Museum.
This is the oldest Anglican
church in the country, modelled after a large church in Madras. In front
of the church is a handsome memorial to Francis Light, who died on October
21, 1794. The Church maintains much of its original setting.
Goddess of Mercy
Temple
You can walk along the church wall down jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, formerly
Pitt Street. This street which is sometimes called the "Street of Harmony"
was reserved for the places of worship important to Penang's multicultural
community. Proceeding beyond the church, you will see a Chinese temple on
your right.
The Goddess of Mercy Temple
was founded around 1800 and features a sweeping roof with ornately decorated
copings and ridges. Today, it is a very popular temple, visited by young
and old alike offering sandalwood incense. Chinese opera or puppet theatre
is performed in the granite-paved forecourt on the Goddess of Mercy's feast
days, which are celebrated three times a year.
 Little India
Proceed along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, past the flower-sellers' st0s,
and then cross the road toward Lebuh Pasar, formerly Market Street. This
is the part of George Town commonly known as Little India, as there are a
number of South Indian stores and eating places here. You may want to browse
and shop for sarees, garlands, spices, trinkets, sculptures or Indian music.
Mahamariamman Temple
Turn right to Lebuh Queen until you come to the Mahammiamman Temple. This
is the oldest Hindu temple in town, dating to 1833, with a magnificently
sculptured entrance gate. At the end of Lebuh Queen is the Penang Teochew
Association, a 19th century South Chinese district association temple. Note
the granite beams and the beautifully gilded paintings of door gods at the
facade. From Lebuh Queen, turn right along Lebuh Chulia until you come to
the traffic lights, where you should turn left on to jalan Masjid Kapitan
Keling. Here you will find many Indian Muslim money-changers and jewellers.
The four-storey landmark at the junction of Lebuh Chulia and jalan Masjid
Kapitan Keling is a Chinese medical hall known as Eu Yan Sang.
 Kapitan Keling Mosque
Cross the road to visit the Kapitan Keling Mosque, a monumental mosque crowned
by yellow domes. This is the largest historic mosque in town, founded before
1800. Originally a rectangular building with verandahs and a hipped roof,
the mosque has been enlarged several times, British architects commissioned
by the Muslim and Hindu Endowments Board gave the mosque its British Moghul
Revival appearance in 1916. The elegant minaret dates from this time.
Walk in a counter-clockwise
direction around the mosque, past the ablution area, the former mosque official's
quarters behind the mosque and exit near the old well onto Penang's own
Buckingham Street. Turn left onto Lebuh Buckingham and you will come back
to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. Proceed south to Lebuh Armenian.
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For more information, contact:
Penang Heritage Trust, 26A Stewart Lane, 10200 Penang. • Tel:
604-264 2631
E-mail: phtrust@po.jaring.my • Website: www.pht.org.my
The Penang Heritage Trust
(PHT) is a registered, non-profit, non-govermental organisation promoting
the conservation and preservation of the cultural, historical and architectural
heritage of Penang. The trust organises site visits, heritage trails, talks
and educational programmes on Penang's heritage. |
