Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
248
48F Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.
&
04/226-2681.
Reservations recommended. Main courses start at RM15
($4.35/£2.70); seafood priced according to market value. AE, MC, V. Daily 9am-11pm.
Food Stall Dining
No discussion of P enang dining would be complete without co verage of the local food
stall scene, which is famous. Penang hawkers can make any dish you've had in Malaysia,
Singapore, or even southern Thailand—only better. Penang may be attractiv e for many
things—history, culture, nature—but it is loved for its food.
Gurney D rive Foodstalls,
to ward the water just do wn fr om the intersection with
Jalan Kelawai, is the biggest and most popular hawker center . It has all kinds of food,
including local dishes with every influence: Chinese, Malay, Indian. Find
char kway teow
(fried flat noodles with seafood),
char bee hoon
(a fried thin rice noodle),
laksa
(noodles
and seafood in a tangy and spicy br oth),
murtabak
(mutton, egg, and onion fried inside
Indian bread and dipped in
dhal
),
oh chien
(oyster omelet with chili dip), and
rojak
(a
spicy fruit and seafood salad). After y ou've eaten y our way thr ough Gurney Drive, you
can tr y the stalls on J alan Burmah near the Lai Lai S upermarket or the stalls at
Long
Beach
food court in Batu Ferringi.
ATTRACTIONS
In Georgetown
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze (1840-1917), once dubbed
“China's Rockefeller” by the
New York Times,
built a vast commercial empire in Southeast
Asia, first in I ndonesia, then in S ingapore. He came to P enang in 1890 and continued
his success, giving some of his spoils to build schools thr oughout the region. His man-
sion, where he lived with his eight wives, was built between 1896 and 1904.
The mansion is a sight to behold. Cheong spent lavishly for Chinese detail that eflects
the spirit of his heritage and the fashion of the day, as well as the rules of traditional feng
shui. Every corner is dripping with ambience, outfitted thr oughout with stained glass,
carved moldings, gilded wood-car ved doors, ceramic ornaments, lo vely cour tyard and
gardens, plus seven staircases.
In 2000, the mansion won UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Conservation,
so lovingly has this historic tr easure been pr eserved. Guided tours explain the histor y,
personalities, and culture behind the home, plus the details of the conser vation efforts.
If you're really hooked, accommodation is available.
14 Lebuh Leith.
&
04/262-0006.
Admission RM12 ($3.50/£2.15). Daily guided tours at 11am and 3pm.
Fort C ornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is built on the site wher e Capt. F rancis Light,
founder of P enang, first landed in 1786. The fort was first built in 1793, but this site
was an unlikely spot to defend the city fr om inv asion. I n 1810, it was r ebuilt in an
attempt to make up for initial strategic planning err ors. In the shape of a star , the only
actual buildings still standing ar e the outer walls, a gunpo wder magazine, and a small
Christian chapel. The magazine houses an exhibit of old photos and historical accounts
of the old fort.
Lebuh Light. No phone. Adults RM3 (85¢/55p), children RM2 (60¢/35p). Daily 8am-7pm.
13
Goddess of Mercy Temple
Dedicated jointly to K uan Yin, the goddess of mer cy,
and Ma Po Cho, the patr on saint of sea trav elers, this is the oldest Chinese temple in
Penang. On the 19th of each second, sixth, and ninth month of the lunar calendar (the
