Some Historical Places

Penang Road, Georgetown

Georgetown has the largest aggregation of pre-war houses (around 12,000), bearing their trademark red terra cotta roofs, in the whole of Southeast Asia. Chulia Street and Upper Penang Road are the focal points of budget travellers and backpackers due to the many budget hotels and guesthouses. These roads are vibrant and especially colourful at night due to the many nightspots and bars catering mostly to travellers.

Fort Cornwallis

Fort Corwallis, (or in Malay "Kota Lama") originally built of wood, marks the place where Capt. Francis Light landed on Penang on July 16, 1786. Adjacent to the fort is the seaside. Esplanade and the newly restored (2005) City Hall (built in 1903) and Town Hall.

Khoo Kongsi

The Khoo Kongsi Cannon Square, is a large Chinese clanhouse with elaborate and highly ornamented architecture, a mark of the dominant presence of the Chinese in Penang. It is located in the heart of the oldest part of the city, in the midst of narrow, winding lanes and quaint-looking pre-War houses exuding a palpable old world charm.

Jubilee Clock Tower

The Jubilee Clock Tower in King Edward's Place was erected as a commemoration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1837-1897). It is 60 ft (18 m) high, each foot for each year of the Queen's reign.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

The mansion on Leith Street is a large indigo-blue mansion once owned by its namesake Chinese tycoon in the 19th century. The mansion has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 vernacular timber louvre windows. Today, guided historical tours are conducted daily and the mansion is also available for private functions and owner-hosted home-stays.