Capital of the Malaysian island of Penang,
George Town has long been a crossroads. Resting on the Strait of Malacca, it
served as an important port on the prosperous trade routes between Madras and
Canton. Today, it is a glorious celebration of culture, one of Asia’s most
colorful corners. Malays, Indians and Chinese all share a past here, as a ride
around town via a pedaled trishaw will show. George Town’s unique cityscape
features shops from colonial days, Buddhist and Taoist temples and kongsi,
brightly painted clanhouses that traditionally open their doors to all who
share a surname. The town’s rich literary past includes temporary residents
such as Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Noël Coward.
Today we toured Georgetown by traditional
trishaw. Each of us had our own driver.
Our ride was at a leisurely pace ride the
city’s vibrant colonial-flavored streets, glimpsing images of day to day life.
Our first stop was at the majestic Khoo Kongsi,
the most elaborately adorned clan house built outside China. We had an
excellent guide and he told us all about the clan house. It took the Chinese 70
years to raise the money to buy the land. They were able to start it in 1902
and it was finished in1906. It was renovated to its current state in 2001.
A clan house is a place where the Chinese can
come to network with each other. It keeps the accessorial ties intact. He said
this is why the Chinese are so close to their families. This clan house is all
about the ying and yang of Confucianism. This came from Beijing where the Temple of Heaven
was circular and represented heaven and the square is the earth. So ying and
yang are the harmony of heaven and earth. The façade is beautiful with wood
covered in gold leaf as well as tile.
The two lions as you enter as well as the two Buddhas
represent the ying and yang.
The smaller building was built as an opera
house and is still used today for operas and for celebrations.
As you entered there were three places of
meeting. This is the first one. The Indian god standing out front was believed
to ward off evil forces.
The large room was the main place of meeting.
In there is a clock brought from Germany. There is a lot of German influence in
what we saw today.
The last room was the ancestral room. This is
where they have tablets for those that have passed. Their bodies are buried
elsewhere, but this is to honor them forever.
Our next stop was the Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
This structure depicted the typical home of a rich Baba or more than a century
ago. More than just a Baba-Nyonya museum, this century old stately mansion of
eclectic design and architecture incorporates the Chinese wood carved panels.
It was built in 1898 by one of local history’s famous personalities, the “Hai
Kee Chan”.
Today it has a new owner whom is not a relative
of the people who originally owned it. Hai Kee Chan had four sons, and when the
last one died he had six wives. They split the wealth up among their children,
who had no interest in keeping the property up.
Lastly, we visited George Town’s unique history
museum, the Pinaon Time Tunnel. Its fascinating exhibits chronicle the rich
past of Penang, from its earliest history to its present day. There were eleven
tunnels, each one featuring overviews of the island’s natural and cultural
history.
What was really odd was the last exhibit was
done with black lights.
Then it was back to the ship and I had to say
goodbye to my wonderful driver.
Tomorrow we are back in Thailand and then a
much deserved sea day.
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