George Town unique architectural and cultural townscape
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town, in the state of Penang, holds the title of the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. It is also the twin city of Malacca. George Town is also world-renowned for its cuisine. Here, you have restaurants from all over the world, but they are predominantly Asian, of course. There are fusion kitchens and plenty of street food. The architecture is a blend of colonial and local styles. And last but not least, the influence of the Chinese Peranakan society.
Short history
Established in 1786, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. The name George, for George III, and the island of Penang was renamed Prince of Wales’ Island. It became the capital of the Malacca Straits settlement in 1826, only to lose its administrative status to Singapore in 1832. Shortly before Malaya attained independence from Britain in 1957, George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II, marking the first time a city had been established in the country’s history.
The mecca for food
One thing we may be happy about is that, thankfully, the English kitchen did apparently not make a hit here. Therefore, no fish and chips, haggis or spotted Dick, as far as I could see. I found a small cafe called Tosca, inspired by the Opera. They also served a Tosca cake, which is a popular cake that originated in Sweden, as far as I could find out. There are so many restaurants in that city, and the guide in the Blue Mansion said, ‘If you don’t like food, we don’t know what to do with you!’
I don’t usually write much about food and post pictures of it here, but I am making an exception this time, since food is definitely a good reason to visit George Town. This is a Nasi Goreng, a typical Malaysian and Indonesian dish. This particular one was delicious.
The Vibrant Street Art of George Town
George Town is full of street art; you can find a map of all of them, or rent a rickshaw to bike you around. The Instagram generation runs around the whole city to find them, and I must admit, I did also see quite a few of them. The boy on a motorbike is one of the most famous ones, created by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, and is typical of his work, featuring an interactive, real motorbike.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
The mansion is eclectic, primarily reflecting Chinese architectural styles of the Imperial Period, with some European influences. The mansion’s external decorations and indigo-blue outer walls make it a very distinctive building, and it is sometimes referred to as The Blue Mansion. The indigo-blue was chosen because it was highly prized by all communities, adding stature to the mansion. It served as Cheong’s private residence as well as the seat of his business activities in Penang.
The mansion was built at the end of the 19th century and was purchased from Cheong Fatt Tze’s descendants in 1989 by a group of local Penang individuals to prevent it from decay or demolition. The property operates as an 18 Room Hotel-cum-museum and has won awards from UNESCO. The mansion has been featured in various films, including the 1993 Oscar-winning French film Indochine starring Catherine Deneuve. In my opinion, a must-visit if you are in George Town.
End of Malaysia for this time
George Town was my last destination in Malaysia on this trip. I would love to see more of this country, the friendly people, and the fantastic food. Next round, maybe I will visit Borneo. So, even if this concluded my days in Malaysia, I was far from finished with this trip. From Penang, I flew to Jakarta, Indonesia, and stayed there for four more weeks. It is not easy to say what was the most interesting site in Malaysia; I loved them all, from vibrant Kuala Lumpur to the Cameron Highlands, Malacca, and George Town, which are twin cities with a lot in common.
