Alan Teh Leam Seng visits the city's various unique and historical attractions in celebration of George Town World Heritage Day on July 7
AS a first-timer using the six-month-old all-passenger boat service plying between Butterworth and Penang, I am more than satisfied with the efficient and fast service.
Compared with the lumbering ferries that were decommissioned last year, this is a welcome upgrade that will surely boost travel and development on both sides of Selat Pulau Pinang.
Despite the exhilarating 10-minute trip, a tinge of regret overwhelms after alighting at Swettenham Pier, right at the heart of George Town. Memories of past trips with friends and family come flooding back.
The joys of standing at the ferry stern with the wind gently caressing the hair and watching seagulls performing aerial acrobatic acts as the hulking behemoth cuts through the water, leaving white frothy waves in its wake will all be sorely missed.
Shrugging off the nostalgic emotions as a small price to pay for the sake of progress, I begin my George Town walkabout by tracing Pengkalan Weld while taking in the sights of a city that is slowly waking up to a glorious sunny morning.
Some half hour later, breakfast comes in the form of deliciously braised chicken feet, piping hot char kway teow and a good mix of fried snacks all washed down with a cup of traditionally brewed black coffee at a popular coffee shop in Lebuh Melayu.
A FOCAL POINT
Fully satiated and energised, I hit the ground running and cover the lengths of Lebuh Carnarvon and its adjoining Jalan Kampung Kolam before ending up at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.
Almost immediately, Sri Mahamariamman Temple's towering gopuram glistening in the sunlight catches my attention from a distance. A closer look reveals a colourful collection of intricately carved deity statues on the ornate back entrance tower as well as the surrounding facade.
Reflecting Penang's rich cultural heritage, this sacred religious site was established more than two centuries ago, making it the oldest Hindu place of worship on the island. Originally built as a shrine in 1801, the building was significantly enlarged some three decades later to form the sprawling complex seen today.
Back then, the temple served as a focal point for the thousands of Indian community members living in the area bounded by Lebuh Queen, Lebuh King, Lebuh Penang, Lebuh Pasar and Lebuh Gereja. Today, worshippers come from all corners of the nation as well as abroad to offer prayers and seek blessings.
After spending time exploring the nearby Masjid Kapitan Keling and Goddess of Mercy Temple, my sojourn leads on to more Indian Muslim and Chinese influences in adjacent Lebuh Chulia, one of the first roads created soon after the establishment of George Town in 1786.
Originally known as Malabar Street, this major thoroughfare adopted its current name in 1798 after the British realised that most of its inhabitants were Muslims who hailed from Tamil Nadu. The name Chulia came about as that particular Indian region was once part of the great Cholar Kingdom.
Today, apart from having a large concentration of budget hotels and guesthouses for tourists as well as numerous hawker stalls offering all-day street food delicacies, Lebuh Chulia is home to several notable historic buildings that reflect Penang's rich multicultural heritage.
PRIDE OF PLACE
Nagore Durgha Sheriff, located right where the road branches into Lebuh King, is a shrine dedicated to a 13th century Muslim saint and also serves as a place of prayer.
Built at around the turn of the 19th century, this shrine in Penang is just one of many similar durgha built in Syed Shahul Hamid Qadirvoli's memory throughout southern Asia after the arrival of Muslim merchants and moneylenders from the Indian Coromandel Coast.
Painted in striking green and white colour combinations, this single-storey structure exudes distinct south Indian architectural styles complete with domes and minarets. Next to the shrine is a row of pre-war shophouses that collectively form an arcade selling a variety of Muslim prayer paraphernalia.
A little further down the road, heading towards Jalan Penang, is the Han Jiang Ancestral Temple, which holds the record as the only Chinese place of worship in George Town that features traditional Teochew architecture.
Built some seven decades after Nagore Durgha Sheriff, the temple once served as a shelter for newly arrived immigrants from the Teochew district in Guangzhou, China. By 1919, the sprawling complex doubled up as the Han Chiang School, which provided education for children living nearby.
In 2003, a decision was made to give this 150-year-old temple a complete makeover. With the Teochew community as the prime mover of this major conservation project, local volunteers and master craftsmen from China worked hand in hand to breathe new life into the temple that had long suffered from leaking roofs, peeling paint and rotting support beams.
The result, some three years later, was nothing short of phenomenal. The commendable effort not only successfully revived Teochew heritage in Penang and Malaysia as a whole but also won many accolades, including the prestigious United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Award 2006.
With that recognition, Han Jiang Ancestral Temple claims pride of place as only the second Unesco award-winning heritage site in the heart of George Town besides Hakka tycoon Cheong Fatt Tze's Blue Mansion.
SUNSET INDUSTRY
With lunch time fast approaching and the promise of a satisfying nasi kandar meal at the corner, where Lebuh Chulia meets Jalan Penang, my pace picks up considerably.
Along the way, I give in to temptation and make a brief stop at Ngai Sun, a popular place that showcases one of the many traditional trades that has taken root in George Town over the decades.
Hard at work are skilled wood and bamboo blind makers who painstakingly hand paint commissioned artwork on interwoven wooden strips instead of using the more modern and less labour-intensive spray painting technique.
Favoured by shop owners for more than a century, these blinds play the dual role of keeping solar radiation and strong winds at bay as well as serve as an effective advertising tool, showcasing the various products offered at the establishment through eye-catching and colourful graphics.
Looking at several attractive completed pieces, it soon becomes obvious why many patrons still favour the traditionally made blinds over machine-manufactured synthetic Venetian shades that are abundantly available in the market today. Besides being more durable, the natural wooden material provides better cooling effect through efficient heat absorption and air circulation.
Best of all, the blinds here are all custom-made according to dimensions provided by customers. This attribute is definitely far more superior than the inflexible mass produced products that come with standard measurements and fixed colours choices.
Once an order is received, the artisans take several weeks to complete the labour-intensive task, which involve manually weaving the wooden strips using fine steel wires or nylon strings.
Customers do not mind the slightly higher cost for these handmade blinds as the price of the well-made shades can be offset by making them last considerably longer through the application of fresh coats of paint once every two or three years.
After a sumptuous meal of fish head curry, telur dadar, fried chicken and a delightful mix of spice-infused kuah banjir at Restoran Nasi Kandar Line Clear, it is time to retrace my steps back to Swettenham Pier to catch the next boat heading to the mainland.
OLD IS GOLD
Along the return route, a sense of nostalgia overwhelms after catching sight of another well-known Penang institution. L. C. Lee & Co is one of the oldest surviving shops selling stamps and related philatelic accessories not only in Penang but also the whole of Malaysia.
Established in 1939 by three avid stamp collectors, this shop survived the Japanese Occupation and went on to grow from strength to strength as the hobby gained in popularity in the prosperous post-World War 2 years.
Although there are several other establishments with a similar line of business on the island, this place holds the most memories for me as this was the very place where my first album, together with countless stamps and first day covers, was purchased many decades ago.
At the same time, this outlet not only serves as a retail centre but also helps to enhance collector knowledge. My first Standard Stamp Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei bought here in 1975 went a long way in shaping my understanding of basic investing and, with prices advancing steadily year after year, proved that stamp collecting, if done correctly and carefully enough, could be a joyfully lucrative venture.
Feeling very much like a kid in a candy store, my eyes gleefully scan the items on display soon after stepping inside. The tremendous stock of stamps and first day covers are astounding and it will most certainly take more time than I have at hand to carefully study them.
While relishing the thought of making another enjoyable return visit to George Town soon just to visit this place again, a box of old picture postcards in an obscure corner catches my eyes.
Without further deliberation, I reach out and spend the next half hour sifting through the precious items that bear varied scenes in Malaya from the distant past.
Picture postcard collecting has been gaining in popularity over the past decade and those bearing rare images or special postal markings can cost in excess of several thousand ringgit.
At the same time, there is an ever-present demand for those bearing images of old Penang ever since the historical core of George Town was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008. In recognition of the award, July 7 has been marked as George Town World Heritage Day.
Although most of the items are priced way beyond my personal affordability index, I am in seventh heaven after unearthing two black and white cards of the Penang ferry from the 1960s.
Priced at just RM10 each, they will certainly make good additions to my collection and, in the years to come, give the golden opportunity to share with friends and family members memories of the time when the iconic ferry reigned supreme in Penang.