George Town, Penang

George Town, the capital of Penang island, is one of the most characterful cities in Southeast Asia, a UNESCO old town where a rich melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian and colonial British cultures has blended over centuries. Its atmospheric streets are lined with colonial shophouses, ornate Chinese clan houses, temples and mosques, enlivened by a celebrated street-art scene, and it is renowned above all as the street-food capital of Malaysia.

History

Before the British came, the cape was known as Tanjung Penaga after its penaga laut trees. In 1771 the East India Company sent Francis Light to open trade in the Malay Peninsula, and Sultan Muhammad Jiwa of Kedah, a Siamese vassal threatened by the Bugis of Selangor, offered him Penang in return for British protection; Light was finally authorised to negotiate in 1786, landed on 17 July and took formal possession on 11 August in the name of King George III, after whom the town was named. George Town was the first British possession in Southeast Asia, Fort Cornwallis was its first structure, and the town grew fast as a free port in the spice trade, drawing commerce away from Dutch posts. Local committees handled administration from 1796, Light's system of 1792, which left justice partly to community leaders, was replaced in 1805 by regulations drafted by George Leith and revised by John Dickens, and in 2008 part of the city centre became a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, George Town, Penang).

What you'll find

• The street art - the famous murals and wrought-iron artworks.
• The clan houses and temples - the ornate Chinese, Indian and colonial heritage.
• The street food - the hawker stalls, some of the best in Asia.
• The colonial shophouses - the atmospheric old-town streets.

When to go

December to April for the driest weather; the food and heritage are a year-round draw, and the George Town Festival brings art and culture to the city, usually mid-year. Explore the old town on foot or by bicycle in the cooler morning and evening.

What to expect

It is hot and humid, so the walkable old town is best explored in the cooler morning and evening. It has become popular and, in the tourist core, a little gentrified, but the food and living heritage remain wonderfully genuine. The famous street food means seeking out the busy hawker centres, where the best stalls have long queues for a reason.

Nearby

Penang Hill, the beaches of Batu Ferringhi and the mainland are on the island.

Key facts