Peranakan derives from a Malay word that means “descendants from a union between a local and a foreigner,” specifically Chinese immigrants and the indigenous Malay population. Peranakan culture is at the core of George Town’s identity. This museum occupies an ostentatious mansion built by a wealthy Chinese merchant in the 1890s. Its contents reveal the Peranakan people’s love of opulence. The cabinets are filled with German bisque porcelain figurines, fine British pottery and even mantel clocks made in Ansonia, Connecticut.
29 Church Street.
Established in 1789 and shaded by frangipani trees, this atmospheric cemetery brings the dramas of colonial history to life. An example from the tombstone of Christopher Henry Lloyd: “Superintendent of Panghore and Dindings who was murdered by a gang of Chinese robbers in the night of October 25, 1876.” The grave of Captain Francis Light, the English adventurer who, in 1786, persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to allow the island of Penang to become a protectorate of the British East India Company, is also to be found here.
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.
When Chinese immigrants arrived to work in the thriving port of George Town, many of them built houses on stilts on the edges of wooden jetties as a way of avoiding the expense of buying property or paying taxes. The half-dozen or so Chinese jetties were usually settled by members of the same clan, and their descendants still live there.
Weld Quay.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
1 (800) 375-4685
Open M-F 8:30AM-5:30PM CT
