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George Town

Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Travel Guide

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Vintage rickshaws outside Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion).

Pete Seaward

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Overview

Combine three distinct and ancient cultures with indigenous and colonial architecture, shake for a few centuries, and garnish with some of the best food in Southeast Asia, and you've got the irresistible urban cocktail that is George Town.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Door and blue wall, Penang, Malaysia

    Blue Mansion

    George Town

    The most photographed building in George Town, this magnificent 38-room, 220-window mansion was built in the 1880s and rescued from ruin in the 1990s…

  • Pinang Peranakan Mansion

    Pinang Peranakan Mansion

    George Town

    Lovingly restored, this ostentatious, mint-green structure was one of the most stunning private residences in George Town. Every door, wall and archway is…

  • Khoo Kongsi

    Khoo Kongsi

    George Town

    The most spectacular clanhouse in George Town, Khoo Kongsi is an explosion of colour. Intricate ceramic mosaics of immortals, carp and dragons dance…

  • Kuan Yin Teng

    Kuan Yin Teng

    George Town

    Dedicated to Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy, this temple is the liveliest place of worship in George Town. The current temple was built in the early 19th…

  • malaysia, penang, georgetown, sri mariamman temple. part view of exterior roof and gopuram painted tower decorated with brightly painted figures of hindu gods and characters.

    Sri Mariamman Temple

    George Town

    Built in 1883, Sri Mariamman is George Town’s oldest Hindu house of worship. For local South Indians, the temple fulfils the purpose of a Chinese…

  • (GERMANY OUT) Statue Franicis Light, Fort Cornwallis, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia (Photo by Schöning/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Fort Cornwallis

    George Town

    Captain Francis Light first built a wooden fort here in 1786, establishing the free port where trade would, he hoped, be lured from Britain’s Dutch rivals…

  • Interior, Penang State Museum, Penang, Malaysia

    Penang Museum

    George Town

    Penang's state-run museum includes exhibits on the history, customs and traditions of the island’s various ethnic groups, with photos, videos, documents,…

  • Cheah Kongsi

    Cheah Kongsi

    George Town

    Looking splendid after a major restoration, Cheah Kongsi is home to the oldest Straits Chinese clan association in Penang. Topped by a tiled pagoda roof,…

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