Lebuh Armenian

George Town


Although this street is named for Penang's Armenian population (such as the famous Sarkies, who established the Eastern & Oriental Hotel), there's no evidence that any Armenians actually ever lived here. In the early 1800s the street was known as Malay Lane, and later the Chinese named it pak thang-ah kay (copper worker's street) because brass- and copperwares were sold here. Today, street art, souvenir shops and cafes make it among the most touristy streets in the city.

Once a centre for Chinese secret societies, it was one of the main fighting stages of the 1867 Penang riots.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby George Town attractions

1. Kids on a Bicycle Mural

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This 2012 work by Ernest Zacharevic is the most famous of George Town's street-art pieces. It features a real bicycle attached to a wall, on which the two…

2. Batik Painting Museum Penang

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Penang artist Chuah Thean Teng is credited with applying the age-old local craft of batik (a dye-resist process) to making works of art. Several of his…

3. Cheah Kongsi

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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,…

4. Khoo Kongsi

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

5. Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple

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This 1850 temple is dedicated to its patron deity, the Taoist God of Prosperity. Resplendent in red, gold and polished black columns, it has quite a few…

6. Lim Kongsi

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Set up in 1860, this Clanhouse is also known as Kew Leong Tong, which means Hall of Nine Dragons. The association is open to anyone with the surname Lim,…

7. Art Lane

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This 2018 addition to George Town's ever-growing collection of public artworks is a gallery crafted from two vacant pre-WWII shophouses. Artworks run the…

8. Yap Kongsi

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The main structure here, built in a curious art deco-meets-Straits-Chinese' style in 1924, is painted a distinctive shade of light green. It is not always…