104 Wednesday, 3/28/2018 George Town (Penang), Malaysia

Day 104 Wednesday,  3/28/2018   George Town (Penang),  Malaysia  8:00-5:00  

Georgetown is the capital of the Malaysian island of Penang.  Situated on the Strait of Malacca, it has served as an important port on the trade routes between Madras and Canon.  Malays, Indians, and Chinese all share a past here.  A unique cityscape offers shops from colonial days, Buddhist and Taoist temples and kongsi (Chinese social clubs), and brightly painted clanhouses.  Penang comes from pinang which means Beetlenut Tree.  Penang is the birthplace of Jimmy Choo.  He made his first pair of shoes at age 11 1/2. 

Sunrise as we arrived in George Town/Penang, Malaysia

This intricate design was explained and I read about it, but I am still unclear.  I know there are five queen-posts from which protrude cantilevered bases and brackets in on outward-flying position.  They hold the three cross beams which are round and strong. There are also additional rectangular truss beams under the "three cross beams and five queen posts".  All of this makes the truss stronger and offers greater aesthetic value.  I do think the result is very aesthetic.  

Five queen-posts and painted and gilded carved wooden brackets with animal motifs.   

Painted and gilded carved wooden brackets with animal motifs.   

Khoo Kongsi Clan house is elaborately adorned.  

Up close look as Khoo Kongsi clan house cut and paste/ jian nian decorations.  Jian nian decorations are made using pliers to cut and paste porcelain into a stucco framework.

Khoo Kongsi jian nian ridge decoration.  

George Town Scenic Drive  3 hours Highlights in the morning

A rich blend of Britain and Asia.  George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the oldest city in Malaysia and the capital of the state of Penang.  A British settlement, George Town was an entrepot (trading post) where goods were imported, stored and exported.  In the banking district, buildings are fashioned after the colonial architecture of Shanghai.  St George’s Church was built in the Palladian style in the early 1800’s for the colonists.  In Little India, we saw the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.   Hindu priests have been perfoming daily pujas or prayers, for almost 200 years.  

George Town by Trishaw  3 hours - in the afternoon.  Toured George Town’s Chinatown and Little India by traditional trishaw.  I sat in the front of my private three-wheeled vehicle as my driver pedaled behind me.   I enjoyed a leisurely tour through the city’s streets with a glimpse of every day life.  Most trishaws were decorated.  This was a great tour with a great guide.  

Visited Khoo Kongsi, the most elaborately adorned clan house built outside of China for 30 minutes.  Saw detailed wood, granite, and stone carvings.  Visited the Chung Keng Kooi mansion that belonged to the head of the Hai San Secret Society, the Chinese Kapitan. (40 min.)  Beautifully restored and furnished with period furniture and porcelain.  Stopped by the George Town’s History Museum, the Pinaon Time Tunnel with eleven tunnels giving an overview of the island’s natural and cultural history.  Great museum.  (45 min.)  Then my trishaw driver drove me back to the ship.  Great afternoon.

Visited the Chung Keng Kooi mansion that belonged to the head of the Hai San Secret Society, the Chinese Kapitan.  Beautifully restored and furnished with period furniture and glimmering porcelain.  The Chinese came to Malaysia to be tin miners.  Where there are Chinese, there are secret societies.  Generally in China, their purpose is to overthrow the imperial line.  In Malaysia, I believe in 1867 there was a Red versus White war that lasted for nine days.  Then secret societies were outlawed in Malaysia.  Truthfully, that was not the end of them from what I understand.  

Seat in the front, driver pedals in the back.

Clan House greeter

Hock Tiek Cheng Sin Temple 

Cathedral of the Assumption on Farquar Street.  Expanded in 1860,  it is a cross-shaped building with two bell towers and a huge altar.  It is the third oldest Catholic church in Malaysia.  In 1941, it was closed except for a few masses during the Japanese occupation.  The church had an extensive renovation and was rededicated in January, 2018.

St. George's Church  Penang, Malaysia is the oldest Anglican church in all of SE Asia.  It was built by Indian convict labor in 1818. and is a combination of Neo-Classical, Georgian and English Palladian architecture.    In 1886, the memorial pavilion/Greek temple with a marble slab was built in memory of Captain Francis Light.  The church was severely damaged during the Japanese occupation and a lot of her interior fittings were looted.  

Clan House

My trishaw driver.

Shop Houses - shops below and housing above.  

Clan House

Blue Mansion/Cheong Fatt Tze is an example of the Paradigm Chinese Courtyard House. and is located on Leith St.  This former mansion is a 16 room bed and breakfast and has guided tours three times a day.  It was built at the end of the 19th century and has 38 rooms, 220 Gothic timber louvre window, seven staircases and five granite-paved courtyards.  The blue color is a mixture of lime and natural blue dye made from the Indigo plant.  The lime-wash absorbed moisture and cooled the house but did not damage the structural integrity of the walls.  The blue color added stature to the mansion.  Movies and television shows have filmed here.  

Clan House Temple

Hock Tiek Cheng Sin Temple at the Clan House

George Town/Penang Town Hall

Center courtyard in Chung Keng Kooi Mansion

Clan House Prayer Pavilion. Supporting the red roof, you see two of the queen-posts.  The bracket bases are animal motifs.  The wood carvings are gilded and painted.  

Prayer Pavillion

Chung Keng Kooi mansion kitchen area.

Mosque with sirens for prayer calls.

Shop House

To get out of the front of the trishaw, the guide lifts his bike in the back and that lowers the front so the rider can easily step out.   

Chung Keng Kooi mansion 

Chung Keng Kooi mansion 

Temple

Mosque

Little India, saw the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.   Hindu priests have been perfoming daily pujas or prayers,for almost 200 years.  Gopuram figures are carved or sculpted, then painted.  Themes are based on HIndu mythology.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.  This god is Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.  He is the patron of arts and sciences, intellect and wisdom, letters and writing.  He is tied to Hindu Mythology.  A story explains why he has an elephant's head on a human body.  

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Little India.  This god could be Parvati, the Mother Goddess of Hinduism.  She is the goddess of fertility, love and devotion, and divine strength and power.     

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Little India.  These beautiful gopuram figures are carved or sculpted, then painted

Mahkamah Tinggi is the High Court.  This is a Palladian-style building built in 1900.

These decorations (hot air balloons) were hanging on this arbor for about a city block.

FACEBOOK post George Town, originally a trading post, is the oldest city in Malaysia and capital of the of Penang. This town offers an interesting blend of colonial and Asian architecture. Malays, Indians and Chinese influences can be seen as you ride around. George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The picture is Khoo Kongsi Clan House. The status and influence is evident in the roof decoration. It is one of the few clan houses which has all four types of ridge decorations; massive cut and paste, stucco decorations, ceramic figurines and Jiao Zhi pottery. Pieces of mirror and colorful porcelain shards add sparkle. 

We toured Hock Tiek Cheng Sin Temple, Sri Maha Mariammam Temple, Khoo Kongsi clan house, Chung Keng Kooi Mansion - the opulent home of a Chinese Kapitan who was the head of a secret society and Pinaon Time Tunnel Museum. It was fun riding around George Town by trishaw. You can see a trishaw in the lower right-hand corner of the picture. Great day!