Rediscover Penang through Heritage Walk
July is a special month for Georgetown that celebrates our diverse heritage pride since UNESCO’s recognition in 2008. The George Town Festival (GTF) committee, a government-supported organisation, aims to educate the masses on the historical and cultural aspect of Georgetown through performing arts, activities, classes, and more.
After two years of hiatus (thanks to Rona), the flames have reignited with more exciting activities. I discovered the festival via a Facebook ad which led me to their 2022 festival webpage. Among the long list of activities, my eyes setted on the George Town Discovery Walk on 7th July, in celebration of the 13th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing. I instantly invited Kev to join me, where we could learn more about historical sites and undiscovered locations. Soon, I learnt my friend Esther also took part in the event.
Beach Street, The Starting Point
Waking up with a sneeze, I changed my clothes into the event’s pink T-shirt. I deliberately picked L size as this will become my nightwear or home workout clothes, not a clothing article I would wear in the streets. I had the leftover bolognese for breakfast while waiting for Kev to pick me up. Once Kev arrived and had a quick meal, we set off to the island at six in the morning when the neighborhood was still asleep.
The number of cars and lorries heading towards Penang bridge were significantly less than on weekdays. There are still some people heading to work, even though it is a state holiday. Once we reached the end of Pengkalan Weld, we found obstructions around the bank area, the starting point of the journey. Kev parked his car nearby, and we waited for Esther to arrive at the gathering spot.
Beach street was a pink sea with participants of all ages in the same outfit and running shoes. We expected to find older gen dominating the event, but there were students and families who seized the opportunity to explore. Even babies in strollers joined the frolic. According to the MC, there were over two thousand participants who took part in the event. We stood far from the crowd by standing at the sideline, maintaining a safe distance from the others.
The MC was an energetic middle-aged man who spoke four languages: English, Chinese, Hokkien, and Malay. With the speakers’ aid, his voice boomed from all corners of Beach Street.
“I see some of you getting ready to run,” he said. “It’s not a run. You would discover nothing special by rushing to the endpoint.”
He got a point. In a race, everyone would set their mind on the endpoint, desperately catching up the time to avoid being at the end of the tour. During high school, we had an annual cross-country run in which students would hurry themselves to the end in order to receive points. The earlier you arrive, the higher the point you receive. For those who did not make it on time, they will receive a penalty. The reward and punishment forced the students to move forward in a desperate manner while failing to recognise the surroundings of their hometown.
“WE LOVE GEORGETOWN.”
Of course, every event came with an awkward shibboleth, followed by a rhythmic clapping. Esther and I kept shouting out local specialties for our own amusement. They came out as “We Love Nasi Lemak” or “We Love Roti Canai”.
The opening ceremony proceeded with our Penang Chief Minister’s speech and a group photograph. It went for 15 minutes and the sky had turned light blue. The walk began, accompanied by loud and annoying beeps of air horns.
Walk Around Georgetown
Once the crowd dispersed, we began our journey around Georgetown by leaving Beach Street’s Business District. Along the way, there was a station with stacks of orange tourist maps on top, allowing us to navigate around the historical side of the town.
With the rise of smartphones, phone booths have ceased to function. Hence, the city council had revamped several of the Beach Street booths into neon coloured mini libraries. Books on the shelves were mostly second handed, from donors who decluttered their houses. A thick Malay dictionary rested between the Chinese Buddhist scripts rested; tourists might find it helpful when they need to find the meaning of ‘Mak kau hijau’ (or probably won’t).
A few police officers guarded the main road to control the traffic. The morning had fewer cars than usual; most people were already in their holiday mood. The Penangites who had awakened were pretending to be tourists and stood on the roundabout in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower. It was a rare sight. You would not find people gathering around in the main road like monkeys out of the jungle. Another hypothesis was they could have seized the opportunity to take a commemorative photo of the roundabout when they were too busy noticing it in their daily life.
We walked past Lebuh Light, an eponym of the British explorer Francis Light. One side of the lane was where the pearly white Esplanade building and Fort Cornwallis stood still, the other side was the Court Building and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce building since 1928.
“This reminded me of my site visitations when I was in uni.” Esther’s eyes scanned across the wide Waterfront area. “We need to do analysis and interview the locals about the locations and their stories.”
Indeed, interviews are the puzzle pieces to comprehend the land’s culture and history. Even though we were both introverts, I was amazed at Esther’s ability to spark a conversation with strangers. Sparking a conversation with a stranger is not my best suite, but it is a helpful tool to retrieve the untold stories.
The procession turned into a corner where the white buildings like the under-renovating St. George and Penang State Museum, along with the Roman Catholic Diocesan Museum surrounded by trimmed sheds and St. Xavier, the institution where the old Chinese tycoons sent their children to. Kev was mesmerised by the aesthetic of the Church of the Assumption right beside the museum; he didn’t know such a church existed in Georgetown. I thought it was an unusual name for a Church, but the name is more than its literal definition. August 15 was the date when Light and his men arrived was the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, hence this church was built to commemorate the British Empire. For over 300 years, the statue of Mary at the entrance oversees any incoming church attendants.
“The aunties and uncles are more energetic than me,” Esther groaned, looking at two middle-aged men going up and down the pedestrian bridge.
There came the Blue Mansion, one of the highlights of the walk where people gathered to awe at this peculiar blue heritage building. I had visited this mansion two years ago with my friends and had written a feature on Nott’s student magazine.
“Fun fact: the owner had eight wives.”
My trivia had puzzled Esther. Back then, old Chinese tycoons had the power to marry over one wife. A little bizarre for today’s concept of marriage.
A little near to the mansion was a Chinese temple. This sort of temple can be found in the heritage area of Georgetown, each funded by different clans living on the island. This temple had two dragons on top of the green rooftop and golden-plated Thean Hou Gong 天后宫 at the entrance. I could not tell which clan built this temple.
“It’s Hainan,” Esther answered. “I’ve studied them from one of the site visitations.”
When the Chinese arrived at the Straits, clans like Hainan and Teochew were facing financial complications. They could only build modest-looking temples with green rooftops, as red or golden rooftops were luxurious materials. Such a prosperous colour could be found in the wealthier Hokkien or Cantonese clans. It was only their descendants who had the capital to renovate these temples into what we see today.
The turn into Jalan Muntri was a refresher. Everyone claimed their mint and lime refreshments in front of the Hanakoya Flower Cafe. I had never seen such a cafe shy away from the crowd. Even the Japanese name had intrigued us. I might visit there for a peaceful retreat one day.
“It’s clean,” Kev said, his eyes scanned around the spotless ground. “I didn’t know there’s such a place that hides itself from the sun.”
Aside from the vibrant heritage houses and shop lots, Georgetown is the home for cat artworks. They were sleeping as graffiti on abandoned shop lots, or popping her heads out from a mural in an alley. Other than that, steel-rod scultpures were visible in every corner of the town.
Away from the lanes, we followed the line to Lebuh Carnarvon. Down the road are the decade old stationery shops, bookstores, and oblation shops. At the end of the road, you will find Komtar and 1st Avenue, the beating heart of Georgetown. Some participants had given up continuing by having breakfast at a few kopitiams.
Uncle Jin once narrated how he would walk all the way from his old home at Anson Road to buy books, comics, and stationery. Before they paved a layer of asphalt, the road was muddy and difficult to walk on.
“Aside from books and stationery,” Uncle Jin said. “We also called this Kua-char luo.”
“Kua-char luo?”
“It means coffin road. They used to make and sell coffins here. That’s why we had this saying: ‘Better study hard or you will end up buying coffins.’”
I couldn't imagine this road was where knowledge and death co-exist. They would not call this Book-Road, with the Chinese word 书 is the homophone of ‘Losing’ 输 (a negative trait which the Chinese despise). Today, this main road is a hunting ground for foodies, and some oblation shops have replaced the coffin maker shops by selling paper effigies, hell money, and incense sticks. One shop had a chonky orange cat as its mascot, attracting passersby to take a photo of the pampered royalty.
We took a break at Prangin Road’s infamous longkang filled with kois. When this first debuted in the news, many could not believe our drainage system could serve as a living ground for these aquatics. In fact, the school of kois was still doing well in their new abode. Even a few turtles had lived as their neighbours, bobbing their curious heads to peek at the newcomers.
As for the green semicircular tin roof, it was the Prangin Market which had lived its glory in the late 20th century. When they were younger, my mother and her siblings would purchase fresh groceries for their large family who lived in Anson Road. It was quite a distance, but the weather and traffic showed more mercy back then. Today, the revamped area belongs to George Town Festival to promote their upcoming activities and provide a shelter from the cruel sun.
Beach Street, The End Point
The last part of the walk was heading back to Beach Street. This long street began from the unsightly view of old hardware and rattan shops, which had begun operation of the day. Among them was PACE, the cafe where Shino works. It was not open yet, or else Esther and I would barge in and land a surprise attack.
We had reached the midpoint when we found Armenian Street and China House, where the sun graced its presence upon the historical houses. Further ahead was the oldest fire station on the island, next to Black Kettle. There was a crimson red fire truck parked at the entrance for participants to take memorial photos. I was very sure the boat inside was not for display, but people allowed their children to sit inside, regardless.
The two miniature white tents at the end of the street became more apparent. Tiny groups of pink people still lingered around for photos, while some sat on the sidewalk like birds on branches. Bank signs and logos were visible, as well as were the ladies stationed underneath the tents.
“Congratulations for finishing the walk,” a lady cried out as she snipped off my wristband. “You can claim your notebook.”
The notebooks we received were not ordinary, cheap-quality notebooks you can get from Mr DIY. The committee put in the effort to design these hard-cover notebooks with heritage buildings printed on the front.
“I’ve never seen a complimentary notebook with such a high-quality design.” Esther caressed the paper. “It’s thick enough for simple watercolour paintings.”
We made it. The 5km walk around Georgetown was fascinating, and we made some discoveries around this historical site. The lack of narration along the way explaining the interesting historical events and key personnel made it less informative. These stories might intrigue people to learn more and add a colourful layer to these historical sites.
Date: 7th July 2022
George Town Festival 2022 Website: https://georgetownfestival.com/2022/
Useful brochures to navigate around Georgetown (obtainable in every tourist centre):
Historic City of George Town: World Heritage Site (4th volume)
Marking George Town (1st volume)