Georgetown, Penang

The Poms opened up 'shop' in India early in the colonial era, but seem to have been a bit slow getting a slice of the action in SE Asia, with the Portuguese and Dutch certainly getting the jump.  I'm guessing the 1786 establishment of Georgetown on the small off-shore island of Penang was an important foothold.  Georgetown started life as a British company town; an administrative outpost of the East India Company.  

Keen to finally and firmly establish naval (and thus economic?) dominance in the straits, the British formalised ‘Straits Settlements’ at Georgetown, Melaka and Singapore in 1826. As the western gateway to the straits Georgetown rapidly developed.  It wasn’t just the British who came here seeking financial opportunities, but also many Eastern ethnic and cultural groups, particularly those of Chinese and Indian origin.

We really enjoyed trying out the large variety of local tucker on offer in Penang, reflecting the city's many sub-cultures (no fish and chips though!).

The town is rich in cultural and historic heritage and like Melaka, large sections of it have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We faithfully pounded the pavement trying to check out as much as we could.

Fort Cornwalis, first established in 1786, featuring the ‘Sri Rambai’ canon, captured by the Poms.

Godowns (top right – always loved that word ‘godown’ conjures up all sorts of edgy, romantic, clandestine Eastern images), and shophouses.

Colonial splendor, the 1903 British built town hall.

Penang’s ‘clan jetties’ are the historic home of the Chinese families of poorer traders, fishermen and dockworkers. 

The clan jetties, built entirely out over the water, are self contained stilt towns with homes, shops, temples and yes, beauty parlours.

Back on dry land the ‘Pinang Peranakan Mansion’ was built for Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee at the end of the 19th century.  The Peranakans (or Baba-Nyonyas), a wealthy community of Straits Chinese traders with eclectic tastes, incorporated Chinese, Malay, British and European elements into their homes.

 Like so many houses of this era and climate, the mix of indoor and outdoor spaces is stunning.  Airconditioning really has a lot to answer for!

We were lucky enough while visiting the mansion to get a private lesson (from Michael) on aspects of Nyonya haute couture.

In Penang the Chinese organized themselves into clans, reflecting their ancestral places of origin.  Each of the clans established ‘clan houses’ usually focused around a temple, but also including elements such as opera stages, housing, schooling and other social support structures such as banking and rural retreats.

This is the courtyard and temple in the clanhouse complex of the Khoo Kongsi.

Khoo Kongsi clanhouse opera stage (right above) and assorted awesomely intricate detailing.