Penang, Malaysia March 26, 2012

Arriving Penang

The ship arrived early this morning at the pier, ahead of two other ships.  We grab breakfast and board the bus for the Heritage Jewels tour of Georgetown, the capital city of the island state of Penang.  Penang is connected to mainland Malaysia by an eight-mile suspension bridge; they are building a thirteen-mile-long bridge further south on the island.  While the city is densely populated, forests, mangroves and coral reefs also remain to be explored.  The rich history of Georgetown has resulted in the older sections of the city, with over 5,000 old homes, being designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2008.

Clock Tower in Georgetown

The tour takes us past some of the older sites being preserved – Fort Cornwallis, St. George’s Church, State Financial Office and mansions of the wealthy from the 1800’s.  Our first stop is on a street that has a Thai Buddhist temple on one side and a Burmese Buddhist temple on the other.

Thai Buddhist Temple

The Thai Buddhist temple is a more traditional Chinese Buddhist style.  This temple contains the 7^th largest reclining Buddha statue (called Wat Chaiya Mangalaram) in the world (the other recliners¸ Siddhartha Buddha’s seventh aspect, are all in China).  The temple is guarded by two fire dragons and two water dragons.  Inside there are seven small Buddha statues representing the 7 days of the week.  It is believed by the local people that this reclining Buddha statue represents Tuesday.  There are also urns in the temple for people who have died, similar to western columbariums.

Feet of the Buddha

Reclining Buddha

Buddha w/urns

The Burma Buddhist Temple has the Buddha statue at the vertical.  There is one large Buddha statue inside the temple surrounded by smaller Buddha statuary on the walls and ceilings.  This temple has elephants as its guards.  Behind the temple is a new golden pagoda, recently built by skilled workmen from Indonesia and Myanmar.  There is also housing for the monks who live onsite here.  Interestingly, they hang their saffron-colored robes outside their rooms to dry, just like everyone else who lives in here.

Burma Temple Buddha

Guardian Dragons

After leaving the temples, the bus takes us by an old hotel once occupied by the army – it is now a wreck – and by several other historic buildings before we arrive at the state museum.  We have about an hour inside the museum to look at artifacts of the early people and the colonial period for this settlement.  There are four rooms set-up to represent the history of the four major cultures in the area – Malay, Chinese, Indian and Sikh.  The British are discussed in terms of those that initially settled and ruled this area until WW2, when the Japanese invaded and occupied until 1945.  We sense respect for the British but little of the affection we saw at some of the earlier Asian ports.   Very interesting museum; worth a visit if you are in the area and have an hour or two!

Carvings at Khoo Kongsi

Khoo Kongsi Temple

Inside Khoo Kongsi

Next stop: A Chinese clan house called Khoo Kongsi in the Chinese neighborhood of Georgetown.  These clan areas were established for the Chinese who came to work and settle in Georgetown and basically became a place where they were cared for in many ways – health, welfare, spirit, etc.  The temple is very ornate and has many carvings, paintings and etchings, telling the various stories that impart the strong Chinese familial culture.  14K gold leaf and beautifully detailed murals still cover much of the temple.

 

Chinese Old Town Homes

Leaving “China”, we wander through the neighborhood back to the bus.  We drive through the Indian section of the city on our way to a Chinese family fishing village.  The name of this area is “Chew Jetty”; it is an old Chinese water front settlement, which is the largest and most lively jetty in Penang (according to the sign at the entrance).  We walk the planking through the rows of houses.  Always amazing to see them drive their motorcycles right up to the doors of the houses built on stilts jutting out of the water.  An interesting way of life.

Just outside the jetty area are several small restaurants with the food being cooked and eaten out in the open air – probably more traditional than we have seen elsewhere.  Coffee houses are also a big part of life here – and yet no Starbucks!  We didn’t go to the big shopping mall with all the western wares and restaurants this time so perhaps we missed Starbucks and the other jewels of America.
 Penang is a beautiful, diverse culturally rich place.  Fortunately for its citizens and commerce this city was not affected by the tsunami in 2004.    

The ship sails into a red sunset as we dine, headed, we think, for Phuket, Thailand.  Little did we know……..