Theme Week Malaysia – George Town on Penang Island

Wednesday, 27 November 2019 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, UNESCO World Heritage
Reading Time:  4 minutes

Eastern & Oriental Hotel © Gryffindor/cc-by-2.5

Eastern & Oriental Hotel © Gryffindor/cc-by-2.5

George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, is located at the north-eastern tip of Penang Island. It is Malaysia’s second largest city, with 708,127 inhabitants as of 2010, while Greater Penang is the nation’s second biggest conurbation with a population of 2,412,616. The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

Established as an entrepôt by Francis Light of the British East India Company in 1786, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. Together with Singapore and Malacca, George Town formed part of the Straits Settlements, which became a British crown colony in 1867. It was subjugated by Japan during World War II, before being recaptured by the British at war’s end. Shortly before Malaya attained independence from the British in 1957, George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II, making it the first city in the country’s modern history.

Gurame bakar kecap, barbecued gourami fish © Gunawan Kartapranata/cc-by-sa-4.0 Penang City Hall, headquarters of the Penang Island City Council © Cmglee/cc-by-sa-3.0 KOMTAR Skywalk, the tallest glass skywalk in Malaysia © Vnonymous/cc-by-sa-4.0 Beach Street © Gryffindor/cc-by-2.5 Church of The Assumption, the oldest in Northern Malaysia © Syafiqcool88/cc-by-sa-4.0 Eastern & Oriental Hotel © Gryffindor/cc-by-2.5 Fort Cornwallis © Hajotthu/cc-by-3.0 Gurney Drive, a part of the Central Business District © Drhtgoon Penang State Museum and Art Gallery © Drhtgoon Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal © flickr.com - shankar s./cc-by-2.0 The Esplanade, where Francis Light had founded George Town in 1786 © Vnonymous/cc-by-sa-4.0 Gurney Drive © Vnonymous/cc-by-sa-4.0 Renovated and repainted shophouses © flickr.com - Visions of Domino/cc-by-2.0 City Park, colloquially known as the Youth Park © Vnonymous/cc-by-sa-4.0
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The Esplanade, where Francis Light had founded George Town in 1786 © Vnonymous/cc-by-sa-4.0
Due to the intermingling of the various ethnicities and religions that arrived on its shores, George Town acquired a large eclectic assortment of colonial and Asian architectural styles. It also gained a reputation as Malaysia’s gastronomic capital for its distinct and ubiquitous street food. Moreover, the city hosts unique cultural heritage, such as the Peranakans whose legacies are still visible on Penang’s architecture and cuisine.

The city of George Town includes the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, a high-tech manufacturing hub regarded as the Silicon Valley of the East. The city also serves as the financial centre of northern Malaysia and the nation’s most vital medical tourism hub. Logistically, the Penang International Airport links George Town with several major regional cities, while a ferry service, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge connect the city with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. Meanwhile, George Town’s Swettenham Pier has emerged as the busiest port-of-call in Malaysia for cruise ships.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on Penang Tourismus, Penang Tourist Guide, Architecture of Penang, Culture of Penang, Penang cuisine, Swettenham Pier, George Town, Eastern & Oriental Hotel George Town, LonelyPlanet.com – George Town, Wikitravel George Town, Wikivoyage George Town, Wikipedia Penang and Wikipedia George Town. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.






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