Georgetown – Capital of Penang

Malaysia has many islands and Penang is one of them. It attracts travelers because of its wonderful beaches, exciting flora and fauna, hills covered with forests and dotted with small villages. To experience its multi-ethnic cultural heritage and visit its multi-religious places of worship will give you enormous satisfaction. It is impossible to explore them all in one trip. Let us, therefore, concentrate on its capital, Georgetown which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a favorite tourist destination for a variety of reasons.

Georgetown is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia. British East India Company was instrumental in founding the city in 1786 and named it after the reigning British King George III. It sounds strange now how this trading company sailed so far, obtained the island from the ruling Sultan and built a fort and called it Fort Cornwallis, after the veteran General who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War and who once was the veritable ruler of India.

Old streets of Georgetown still retain the names that its founder, Captain Francis Light, gave. His gravestone now lies in a dilapidated condition in the city’s Protestant cemetery.

Originally built on a swampy land, Georgetown now boasts of being one of the best cities in Asia. It is a city where Europeans and Americans prefer to come to work and live because of its pleasant weather, quality infrastructure, comfortable housing facilities, its unique architectural style and – above all – its hospitable local people.

Despite being considered as one of Malaysia’s largest cities, Georgetown isn’t enormous and has only about 600,000 people. Chinese and Muslims being the dominating communities, the city comes to a standstill on Friday, the second half of Saturday and full Sunday. With many shops and restaurants being closed, the city develops a laidback attitude. Even on working days family run shops and restaurants seldom open until around noon. Don’t wait for your normal breakfast time. Eat whenever you see a restaurant open in the morning.

Fort Cornwallis was built on the site where Captain Light first landed. It was rebuilt 17 years later for strengthening its ability to defend it from attacks. But it couldn’t withstand the ravages of time. Still visible are only the boundary walls, a small and dilapidated Christian chapel and a collection of old sepia colored photographs and documents related to the Fort.

Queen Victoria Clock Tower is another tourist attraction that built by a wealthy local trader at the end of the 19th century in celebration for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

The third tourist attraction is the blue Chinese Mansion with spacious courtyard built by a prominent and fabulously rich philanthropist Cheong Fatt Tze with master craftsmen and masons brought from his native China.

There are plenty of bars and nightclubs in downtown Georgetown with open air restaurants where guests can indulge in dancing to the tune of recorded music.

Georgetown is a great place to visit. Come here to enjoy the sights of its quaint colonial buildings and wonderful beaches. Come here to meet the warm-hearted people exuding their old world charm.