The top 3 Penang’s inheritances – Heritages of Penang
Top 1. Penang Peranakan Mansion
Penang Peranakan Mansion is Penang’s way of introducing people to the historical Peranakan culture. A recreation of a typical rich 19th century Baba home, the elegantly restored museum is a testament to the Baba-Nyonya cultural revival and displays over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles. Housed in one of Penang’s heritage mansions, it is truly an ornate sight to behold. Built at the end of the 19th century, inside the Penang Peranakan Mansion you’ll find an eclectic mix of English tiles, Scottish ironworks and continental European art and furniture as well as Chinese carved-wood panels. Besides the traditionally crafted memorabilia, antiques, and artefacts filling up the space be sure to check out the elaborate screen doors and mother-of-pearl furniture with beautiful carvings.
A beautiful intermingling of different antiques and artefacts, the Penang Peranakan Mansion was once the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee. Also known as the Hai Kee Chan (Sea of Remembrance Store), the mansion’s previous owner was not a Baba, but he was a merchant, secret society leader and all-round community pillar. Fashioned in classic Straits Chinese style, after decades of neglect and decay, The Chinese courtyard house has been restored to its former glory. Free guided tours take place at 11:30 and 15:30 or you can call ahead (only for groups of five). Also check out the exhibition on Nyonya customs.
Penang Peranakan Mansion is Penang’s way of introducing people to the historical Peranakan culture. A recreation of a typical rich 19th century Baba home, the elegantly restored museum is a testament to the Baba-Nyonya cultural revival and displays over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles. Housed in one of Penang’s heritage mansions, it is truly an ornate sight to behold. Built at the end of the 19th century, inside the Penang Peranakan Mansion you’ll find an eclectic mix of English tiles, Scottish ironworks and continental European art and furniture as well as Chinese carved-wood panels. Besides the traditionally crafted memorabilia, antiques, and artefacts filling up the space be sure to check out the elaborate screen doors and mother-of-pearl furniture with beautiful carvings.
A beautiful intermingling of different antiques and artefacts, the Penang Peranakan Mansion was once the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee. Also known as the Hai Kee Chan (Sea of Remembrance Store), the mansion’s previous owner was not a Baba, but he was a merchant, secret society leader and all-round community pillar. Fashioned in classic Straits Chinese style, after decades of neglect and decay, The Chinese courtyard house has been restored to its former glory. Free guided tours take place at 11:30 and 15:30 or you can call ahead (only for groups of five). Also check out the exhibition on Nyonya customs.
Location: 29 Lebuh Gereja, Georgetown
Business Hours: 09:30 – 17:00 (Monday – Saturday)
Contact: +604 264 2929
Top 2. Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, a boutique hotel that’s one of Penang’s best-known attractions in an ornate edifice built in the traditional Hakka-Teochew style. Located at 14 Leith Street, the structure was erected in the 1880s when Hakka merchant, Cheong Fatt Tze commissioned its construction.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion History
A self-made and affluent merchant-trader, Cheong Fatt Tze left China as a penniless teenager but soon rose to the ranks of the well-heeled when he established a vast financial empire throughout East Asia at the end of 19th century. Despite the popularity of modern Anglo-Indian designs at the time, he chose to build his domicile as a traditional-style Chinese courtyard house. The stately manor has 38 rooms, five granite-paved courtyards, seven staircases and 220 timber-frame windows.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Layout
Rescued from ruin in the 1990s, the indigo-blue mansion blends elements of Eastern and Western design and stands apart from other structures along the street due to its distinctively gregarious exterior. Featuring art nouveau stained glass and beautiful floor tiles, the mansion is a beautiful representation of the architectural style preferred by wealthy Straits Chinese of the time. In 1989 the mansion was purchased from Cheong Fatt Tze's descendants in order to save the structure from imminent development that would have resulted in its demolition. Maintained as a private residence, the property also operates as a 16-room bed-and-breakfast as part of an ongoing restoration project; additionally the estate also doubles as a museum. You can choose to visit the mansion on a one-hour guided tour or you can spend the night at the boutique hotel.
Accolades
Highlighted in various TV programs on networks such as CNN, BBC, The History Channel and Discovery Travel & Living, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has also been featured in various films ranging from the 1993 Oscar-winning French film Indochine to the critically-acclaimed 2009 motion picture The Blue Mansion. Winner of the 1995 Malaysian National Architectural Award for Conservation, the 2000 UNESCO Most Excellent' Heritage Conservation Award, ‘Best Tourist Attraction 2003’ Merit Award by the Malaysian Ministry of Culture, Arts & Tourism and the 2008 Best of Malaysia Travel Award’s ‘Best Boutique Hotel’ by Expatriate Lifestyle magazine, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is undoubtedly one of Penang’s most prominent attractions.
Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion The Blue Mansion by Samadhi Penang is located close to the coast in the Georgetown part of Penang. Surrounded by cultural attractions, it is a short walk from Upper Penang Road, with the main galleries and museums nearby and the historic Fort Cornwallis a short distance further on. It is also not far from the ferry terminal, allowing easy access to more of the city. Many of the surrounding streets contain historic monuments and traditional shops and restaurants. The 18 rooms of the The Blue Mansion by Samadhi Penang are individually themed and uniquely decorated in a neo-classical style. They are set out in two colourful, colonial-style courtyards and are fully-fitted with five-star in-room amenities including air-conditioning, a mini bar, a television, an iPod docking station, free Wi-Fi internet access, a safety deposit box and an en-suite bathroom with rain shower and hair dryer.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, a boutique hotel that’s one of Penang’s best-known attractions in an ornate edifice built in the traditional Hakka-Teochew style. Located at 14 Leith Street, the structure was erected in the 1880s when Hakka merchant, Cheong Fatt Tze commissioned its construction.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion History
A self-made and affluent merchant-trader, Cheong Fatt Tze left China as a penniless teenager but soon rose to the ranks of the well-heeled when he established a vast financial empire throughout East Asia at the end of 19th century. Despite the popularity of modern Anglo-Indian designs at the time, he chose to build his domicile as a traditional-style Chinese courtyard house. The stately manor has 38 rooms, five granite-paved courtyards, seven staircases and 220 timber-frame windows.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Layout
Rescued from ruin in the 1990s, the indigo-blue mansion blends elements of Eastern and Western design and stands apart from other structures along the street due to its distinctively gregarious exterior. Featuring art nouveau stained glass and beautiful floor tiles, the mansion is a beautiful representation of the architectural style preferred by wealthy Straits Chinese of the time. In 1989 the mansion was purchased from Cheong Fatt Tze's descendants in order to save the structure from imminent development that would have resulted in its demolition. Maintained as a private residence, the property also operates as a 16-room bed-and-breakfast as part of an ongoing restoration project; additionally the estate also doubles as a museum. You can choose to visit the mansion on a one-hour guided tour or you can spend the night at the boutique hotel.
Accolades
Highlighted in various TV programs on networks such as CNN, BBC, The History Channel and Discovery Travel & Living, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has also been featured in various films ranging from the 1993 Oscar-winning French film Indochine to the critically-acclaimed 2009 motion picture The Blue Mansion. Winner of the 1995 Malaysian National Architectural Award for Conservation, the 2000 UNESCO Most Excellent' Heritage Conservation Award, ‘Best Tourist Attraction 2003’ Merit Award by the Malaysian Ministry of Culture, Arts & Tourism and the 2008 Best of Malaysia Travel Award’s ‘Best Boutique Hotel’ by Expatriate Lifestyle magazine, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is undoubtedly one of Penang’s most prominent attractions.
Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion The Blue Mansion by Samadhi Penang is located close to the coast in the Georgetown part of Penang. Surrounded by cultural attractions, it is a short walk from Upper Penang Road, with the main galleries and museums nearby and the historic Fort Cornwallis a short distance further on. It is also not far from the ferry terminal, allowing easy access to more of the city. Many of the surrounding streets contain historic monuments and traditional shops and restaurants. The 18 rooms of the The Blue Mansion by Samadhi Penang are individually themed and uniquely decorated in a neo-classical style. They are set out in two colourful, colonial-style courtyards and are fully-fitted with five-star in-room amenities including air-conditioning, a mini bar, a television, an iPod docking station, free Wi-Fi internet access, a safety deposit box and an en-suite bathroom with rain shower and hair dryer.
Location: 14, Leith Street, 10200 Penang
Contact: +604-262 0006
Top 3. Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. Set close to the Esplanade and Penang Clocktower, the star-shaped bastion is one of the oldest structures in Penang. Named after Marquis Charles Cornwallis, only a set of ten-foot high outer walls remain, with an enclosed park within. Situated on Penang’s north-eastern coast, a stroll along the privately-managed Fort Cornwallis’ perimeters will take you about 10 minutes. It is a surreal experience to hear the 1812 Overture playing over the speaker system while a Malaysian man dressed in full British regalia stands at the gate. Inside the fort is a variety of vaguely-informative exhibits.
Fort Cornwallis History
Built in 1786, Fort Cornwallis was intended as a defensive structure against pirates, Kedah forces and even the French during the Napoleonic Wars. However although it was initially built for the Royal artillery troops and the military, it served an administrative function rather than an actively defensive one. Spanning 4490sqft it was built as a stockade with no permanent structures. The fort stands on the site where Captain Francis Light first set foot in 1786 on the then virtually-uninhabited Penang and took possession of the island from the Sultan of Kedah. He then established a free port to lure trade from Britain’s Dutch rivals.
Reconstruction
Originally built of nibong palms, during Colonel R.T. Farquhar’s term as Governor of Penang Fort Cornwallis was rebuilt with bricks and stones using Indian convict labour thus transforming the wooden fort into a stone structure. Fort Cornwallis’ star shape is attributed to the fact that this design was a better defence against multiple fields of fire from enemies.
Interior of Fort Cornwallis
A bronze statue of Captain Francis Light stands near Fort Cornwallis’ main entrance. Inside the fort are prison cells, barracks, munitions storage areas, a harbour light once used to signal incoming ships and the original flagstaff. At the southwest corner of the fort is Penang’s first chapel, built in 1799. You can also see several old bronze cannons inside the fort including Seri Rambai, which is popularly regarded as a fertility symbol. Locals often place offerings of flowers and joss sticks at its base.
Contact: +604-262 0006
Top 3. Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. Set close to the Esplanade and Penang Clocktower, the star-shaped bastion is one of the oldest structures in Penang. Named after Marquis Charles Cornwallis, only a set of ten-foot high outer walls remain, with an enclosed park within. Situated on Penang’s north-eastern coast, a stroll along the privately-managed Fort Cornwallis’ perimeters will take you about 10 minutes. It is a surreal experience to hear the 1812 Overture playing over the speaker system while a Malaysian man dressed in full British regalia stands at the gate. Inside the fort is a variety of vaguely-informative exhibits.
Fort Cornwallis History
Built in 1786, Fort Cornwallis was intended as a defensive structure against pirates, Kedah forces and even the French during the Napoleonic Wars. However although it was initially built for the Royal artillery troops and the military, it served an administrative function rather than an actively defensive one. Spanning 4490sqft it was built as a stockade with no permanent structures. The fort stands on the site where Captain Francis Light first set foot in 1786 on the then virtually-uninhabited Penang and took possession of the island from the Sultan of Kedah. He then established a free port to lure trade from Britain’s Dutch rivals.
Reconstruction
Originally built of nibong palms, during Colonel R.T. Farquhar’s term as Governor of Penang Fort Cornwallis was rebuilt with bricks and stones using Indian convict labour thus transforming the wooden fort into a stone structure. Fort Cornwallis’ star shape is attributed to the fact that this design was a better defence against multiple fields of fire from enemies.
Interior of Fort Cornwallis
A bronze statue of Captain Francis Light stands near Fort Cornwallis’ main entrance. Inside the fort are prison cells, barracks, munitions storage areas, a harbour light once used to signal incoming ships and the original flagstaff. At the southwest corner of the fort is Penang’s first chapel, built in 1799. You can also see several old bronze cannons inside the fort including Seri Rambai, which is popularly regarded as a fertility symbol. Locals often place offerings of flowers and joss sticks at its base.
Location: Lebuh Light
Business Hours: 09:00 – 18:30 Daily
Contact: +604-261 0262
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