George Town, Penang

 George Town, Penang, 

I went for a walk around the old centre of the city...

...to view the architecture as the original centre is all a UNESCO site.

There was a lot of different styles of architeture, reflecting the many different influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian and colonial secular and religious cultures.

A Chinese temple, although from the outside, visitors cannot tell from the outside whether it is a Buddhist temple or a Taoist temple until they go inside. A simple difference is that a Buddist temple would have a statue of a buddha, the taoist temple does not.

The site is listed as part of the UNESCO accreditation. Now a days the burning of offerings is not allowed inside so special recpticle are provided outside for devotees.

Incense is also not allowed to be burnt inside so special holders are provided outside in the courtyard. It was busy in the courtyard as free food is provided daily at midday to the poor. There were many people sitting around waiting. The freshly cooked rice with a topping was delivered and an orderly queue formed.

...the cathedral of St George the Martyr.

An art deco inspired building...

...and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce building from the same era. The shed like structure on top is a later addition and is a restaurant offering traditional Malay style food at reasonable prices.

The town hall was an impressive old building but I couldn't get a photo without some trees in the way...

...and the same problem for the building next door.

Across the water towards the mainland were several ships, part of the scene with a busy port.

Then it was a visit to the Fort Cornwallis on the north of the island, opposite the mainland. This was the place tht Captain Francis Light came ashore in 1786 to claim the island for the East India Company in return for military protection against an aggressive neighbouring state.

A view of the seaward facing defences.

A view from outside of the walls of the flagstaff and the lighthouse. 

Some of the magazines used to store gunpowder and shells. They used a railway to transport munitions around the fort.

A statue of Captain Francis Light.

A fortified entrance to one of the magazines.

The fort was a simple version of a star fort with protruding gun emplacements to protect long sections of walls. In the distance are the flagstaff and kight house.

The Sri Rambai cannon. It bears the symbol of the Dutch East India Company and was cast in 1613. It was captured by the English East India Company in 1871 and was installed here.

A view of the moat on the landward side of the fort.

The clock tower presented to the city on its diamon jubilee in 1896.

The Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal, the busiest in Malaysia. The original building was completed in 1904 and named after Frank Swettenham, the then Governor of the Straits Settlements. It was used by the Japanese, German and Italian navies during the Second World War. The wharf has since been extended but the building seen today has some similarities in design to the original but was completed in 2009.

Next door was the Church Street Pier, but cordoned off for refurbishment. 

There are still some grnd buildings along the front but many of the sites have been redeveloped.

I called in at the Chew Jetty. It is a lively night time Chinese food market set on stilts or floating boats but it was quiet during the day... 

...one of the temples in the area. 

But there were still plenty of architecture to see...

...plus a 1957 building...

...and another grand residence now converted to a restaurant...

...and an original 1920's art deco cinema.