Penang Places of Interest

 Race of the ancients
 
 About 100 years ago, large clans of sea-faring migrants from China settled along the  foreshores of Penang island, building   pier houses on the fringes of George Town. Little  could  these communities, literally living on the margins of George Town, have known  then  that the  race they were so  avidly celebrating among themselves would one day  become  one of the  biggest sea events of the region. In fact, when the  grand Dragon  Boat festival  was formally  organised in Penang, it was the first time that the race had  ever been held  outside  the shores  of China. Click here for full story.

 There will be a Dragon Boat Race held from 16-1

7 December 2006 at the Teluk Bahang  Dam  organised by the Jawatankuasa  Kecil Perahu Naga

    
Little Penang Street Market: more than meets the eye


To call the Little Penang Street Market a microcosm of Penang and Malaysian cultures is no empty boast. Its multi-faceted  makeup has little parallels elsewhere. But it is also an incomplete description. The Street Market isn't merely another  weekend shopping spot. Click here for more details.

The next Little Penang Street Market will be held on Sunday, 17 December 2006 at Upper Penang Road from 10am to 6pm.


Kok Lok Si (Temple of Paradise)
 
 It is the largest Buddhist temple in South-East Asia, it is built on an extensive area and it  is  dedicated to the Goddess of  Mercy. Behind the Kek Lok Si rises a bronze statue of this  Goddess. Now (2001)they are building  a nice temple for her up  there with beautiful  carved  stones, which are delivered in boxes from China. Don't forget this temple is under  construction.
 
  At the Kek lok Si there are several buildings, but these are dominated by the pagoda of   the ten thousand Buddha's. If you  like, you can climb the pagoda.
  If you follow the road up the mountains, you'll come to a little lake. It's the reservoir of  the   water supply company. It's cool  and not so hot as in town. In these quiet   surroundings   you can have a walk and enjoy the beauty of nature. The lake is  surrounded by   casuarinas trees. You see big fishes in the water and at the shores  iguana's. There's a  waterfall in the  background.
 On holidays and in the weekends Penangites come here for jogging and enjoying the nature.   


Fort Cornwallis
 
 Fort Cornwallis - named after the Governor-General in Bengal, Charles Cornwallis – is  one of the most interesting historical  landmarks in George Town, located close to the Esplanade, next to the Victoria Memorial Clock.

 The fort's walls, roughly 10 feet high, are laid out in star-like formation. A stroll along the perimeters takes roughly 10  minutes.   Inside the fort, one can still see some of the original structures built over a century ago, including a chapel, prison  cells, which  were once used as barracks, a munitions storage area, a harbour light once used to signal incoming ships, the  original flagstaff  and several old bronze canons, one of which is a Dutch canon called the Seri Rambai, dated 1603. An  interesting note about the  Seri Rambai - some locals believe that this particular canon can have a positive effect on a  woman's fertility. 

 Fort Cornwallis is situated at the spot where Captain Francis Light was supposed to have landed in 1786. Originally a  wooden  structure, the fort was rebuilt between 1808 and 1810 with convict labour. It was named   after Charles Marquis  Cornwallis, a distinguished Governor General of India, and  designed  to protect the harbour from possible French attacks.

 Today, much of the old fort remains, but its precincts have been converted into a public park  and an open air theater. It is  still guarded by old cannons, which were retrieved by the    British from pirates who had captured them from the Johore  Sultanate.

 The most famous of the cannons is Seri Rambai, which dates back to 1613. Local beliefs  have it that childless women can  become fertile by placing flowers in the barrel of the  cannon and offering special prayers.

 Opening hours for Fort Cornwallis is from 8.30am to 6.30pm daily and the admission fees are RM3.00 for adults and RM2.00  for  children below 12 years old.


Penang Butterfly Farm
                                                                                

Hours	Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
Location	alan Teluk Bahang
Phone	04/881-1253
Prices	Admission adults RM5 ($1.30), children 5 and over RM2 (55¢); free for children 4 and under

 
 The Penang Butterfly Farm, located toward the northwest corner of the island, is the largest in  theworld. On its 0.8-hectare  (2-acre) landscaped grounds there are more than 4,000 flying  butterflies from 120 species. At 10am and 3pm there are  informative butterfly shows. Don't  forget  the insect exhibit -- there are about 2,000 or so bugs.

   Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please  be   sure to confirm all rates  and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

                                                       
Georgetown
The city of Georgetown is Penang’s capital city and the place to go to in search of historical sights  and  shopping adventures.  Many cultural temples line the streets while certain areas are famous for  their  sale of antiques, artefacts, electronic goods,  souvenirs and other commodities. The city area   is well- connected through a link of roads, though some are one-way and  narrow. Busy and  fast- paced,  Georgetown is a city that never sleeps, just like Kuala Lumpur.


City Hall

 The City Hall located along the Esplanade is a fine building of Victorian architecture built in  1903; a reminder of the colonial  era in Penang. The City Hall faces a historic field – Padang  Kota which is a venue for festivals and other large-scale events.  Today, the Hall is still  used  for period meetings among the Penang Municipal Council Chamber.

 Penang State Museum

 
 The Penang Museum was built in 1965 and houses a collection of priceless artefacts and  state treasures. Eight of the ten  original oil paintings by the famous artist Captain  Robert  Smith are found here. Other items on display include porcelain,  furniture,  jewellery and  costumes from past historical eras. There are also maps, charts and  memorabilia used by  the first  Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman.


   

Clock Tower

 The Clock Tower is a colonial reminder from the era of the British Empire in Penang. Built to  commemorate the Diamond  Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, the Clock Tower was a gift to the British   authorities from a local millionaire, Cheah Chen  Eok. Moorish stylings dominate the structure and from  afar, it resembles the minaret of a mosque.

Penang Toy Museum
 





 The Toy Museum is Penang’s latest attraction with over 100,000 toys, dolls, models and other  collectibles. Started by an avid  collector of toys, the museum is also said to be the largest of its kind  in  Asia with many different chambers showcasing toys  from different genres such as anime, Hong  Kong  movie stars, horror, science fiction and fantasy.