Besides the Kongsi houses there are of course a lot of other historical landmarks in George Town. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So after a day of touring the Kongsi houses I was ready for more. So these are the other sites which you should visit while in George Town. Yours, Pollybert
1.) Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion: The Chinese had clearly left their mark on George Town, so I figured I would make a tour of the most famous Chinese mansions. I started with my hotel, the Blue Mansion, also called Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. The tour is free for hotel guests and they recommended to participate as early as possible. It makes sense since you get a feeling for all the history which surrounds you.
Cheong Fatt Tze was the Rockefeller of the East and when you walk through the building you can understand why. The structure of the building is amazing. Unfortunately though, he had a lot of wives and children. This is always expensive and whatever fortune he amassed, it all got lost in the next generation. In his will he had also made a stipulation that the house could only be sold after the death of his last child. So through negligence and bad fortune the house fell in total disrepair and when it got eventually bought at the end of the 1980s it was full of squatters. After years of careful renovations this gem showed up.
the Blue Mansion at night @George Town
Sorry, I found no better picture of it during the day. Just detailed shots. On the other hand the camera on my phone doesn’t have a wide-angle anyway. As you can see the blue is very vivid and the attention to detail impeccable.
outside the Blue Mansion @George Town
courtyard for hotel guests of the Blue Mansion @George Town
the main hall inside the Blue Mansion @George Town
Art Nouveau glass window and pillars inside the Blue Mansion @George Town
2.) Pinang Peranakan Mansion: The second Chinese mansion was also a mix of local Malay and colonial British, but foremost Strait Chinese. This heritage can never be questioned especially when you look at the pieces of antiques and collectibles. But in the end it is a museum and therefore quite different from the Blue Mansion because it is full of stuff. It does have the same kind of courtyard inside the main hall though.
the main hall with staircase of the Pinang Peranakan Mansion @George Town
ancestry paintings inside the Pinang Peranakan Mansion @George Town
more furniture from the Pinang Peranakan Mansion @George Town
3.) Chew Jetty: since George Town was a thriving port lots of Chinese immigrants also settled around the quay. Chew Jetty is the largest and most intact area of these stilt houses. The immigrants built along the docks where they also worked. Chew Jetty consists of 75 houses, some shrines and a community hall. And through it all lead elevated walk ways for tourists and locals alike. Personally I found it a bit disappointing, there were a lot of tourist stalls and few locals.
the end of the pier of Chew Jetty @George Town
one of the elevated walk ways of Chew Jetty @George Town
