♥ *-- Ruey Jiuan --* ♥

23rd May 2009, My friends and I was visiting Fort Cornwallis,Kapitan Keling Mosque,Khoo Kongsi,Chew Jetty and Pinang Peranakan Mansion.I grew up in Penang Island but never go or visit to Fort Cornwallis,Chew Jetty and Pinang Peranakan Mansion.

We begin the journey to the Fort Cornwallis->Chew Jetty->Khoo Kongsi->Kapitan Keling Mosque->Pinang Peranakan Mansion.

Introduction to Fort Cornwallis:

Fort Cornwallis - named after the Governor-General in Bengal, Charles Cornwallis – is one of the most interesting historical landmarks in George Town, located close to the Esplanade, next to the Victoria Memorial Clock.

History :

One of the earliest structures in Pulau Pinang (Penang), Fort Cornwallis was erected in 1786, not long after he acquired Pulau Pinang for the East India Company, from the Sultan of Kedah. The site where the fort was built is actually the first place where Light disembarked from his ship in 1768. Fort Cornwallis was originally built of nibong palms, but was replaced in 1804 with a sturdier stone and brick structure.

Although built for defense by design, throughout its existence, Fort Cornwallis served more as an administrative centre for the British, having survived without much threat of enemy attacks. Fort Cornwallis was once surrounded with a moat roughly 9m wide and 2m deep. Along the perimeters of the fort's wall, several canon bays were strategically placed overlooking the harbour in the north and the port activities along the eastern waterfront. In the 1920's due to a malaria outbreak in the area, the moat surrounding Fort Cornwallis was filled in.

The chapel located on the south-west corner of the fort is the first chapel ever built on Penang island and was used by the British and Europeans living there. The first-ever recorded service, however was in 1799 when John Timmers wedded Martina Rozells, the widow of Francis Light.

Opening hours:n8.30am-7.00pm daily
Admission: Adult- RM3.00, Child- RM2.00
Address: Padang Kota Lama, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.

Entry to Forn Cornwallis

Francis Light

After that we visit to Fort Cornwallis, we go to Chew Jetty,Khoo Kongsi and Kapitan Keling Mosque.

History of Chew Jetty:
Chew Jetty, or Seh Chew Keo, is the biggest of the waterfront settlements in George Town. It was created in the middle of the 19th Century, in a very different Penang from what it is today. The last community jetties, the Peng Aun and the Chap Seh Keo, were only established in the 1960's. Each of the clan jetties has a small shrine to pay homage to the sea deities. Chew Jetty is the only clan jetty left that continues to have observe the once a year annual worship of its Temple Deity and the Jade Emperor (Thnee Kong, or "god of the skies")

Like gnarled fingers that claw the sea, clan jetties line the water front of Georgetown. Here, we find a community that has existed for over a hundred years, suspended in time above the tide lines. Today, however, encroaching development poses a formidable threat to the very existence of this unique waterborne community.

History of Khoo Kongsi :

When the first immigrants from the Hokkien province of China arrived in Penang, one of the first things they set out to do was build one of the most magnificent clan houses in Penang. Work began on the clan house in the 1890's which resulted in what was said to be a palace which rivalled that of the Emperor of China. As the story goes, this extravagance incurred the wrath of the Gods and on the first night of the clan house's completion, an unexplainable fire broke out and burnt the house down! It wasn't until 1902 that the current clan house began construction.

One of five clan houses still standing in Georgetown, the Khoo Kongsi clan house takes on a remarkable resemblance to a mini clan village. One of the grandest clan houses in Penang, the Khoo Kongsi features tall thin columns supporting a gently sloping, red tiled roof, topped with carvings of dragons, phoenixes, mythical animals and various scenes from popular Chinese legends.

The clan house also has a grand hall adorned with resplendent and intricate carvings and richly ornamented pillars which are said to have been crafted by master craftsmen from China. Other major Hokkien clan houses that can be found in Penang are the Cheah Kongsi, Yeah Kongsi, Lim Kongsi and Tan Kongsi.

Opening hours: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm.

Khoo Kongsi

After visit at Khoo Kongsi,We were walking to Kapitan Keling Mosque.Guess around 8minutes..

History of Kapitan Keling Mosque :

The Kapitan Keling Mosque was first erected by the troops of the East India Company who were some of Penang's first Muslim settlers, in the late 1700s. Several years later, the growing Indian Muslim community required a more permanent mosque. In 1801, the community, led by their leader, Cauder Mydin Merican or also referred to as 'Kapitan Keling', was granted with an 18-acre lot. Made of brick, the original mosque was a single-storey structure, but over the years, the mosque has seen plenty of renovation works.

Surrounded by a low wall, this white-washed mosque is adorned with yellow Moghul-style domes and turrets. A madrassah (a place where religious classes are held) can also be found within the mosque's compound. The tall minaret, once used by the muezzin to deliver his call to prayers, is located on the corner of Buckingham and Pitt Street.

(Summary)Named after the Indian Muslim merchant, the “Kapitan Keling” (headman) Caudeer Mohudeen who built it in the early 19th century. It features an ocher yellow facade and dome-shaped minaret reflecting Moorish Islamic influence.

Open Hours: 9am-5.30pm daily

Kapitan Keling Mosque

The Last, we go to Pinang Peranankan Mansion.This is good history of Penang's Peranakan Mansion.

History of Pinang Peranakan Mansion:

The Peranakans, also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, was a prominent community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world, especially in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and Singapore) hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. Adopting selected ways of the local Malays and later, the colonial British, the Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs which had not only left behind a rich legacy of antiques but its cultural influences like cuisine and language are still evident in Penang today.

At the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the typical home of a rich Baba of a century ago is recreated to offer a glimpse of their opulent lifestyle and of their many customs and traditions. With over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles of the era on display, this Baba-Nyonya museum is also housed in one of Penang’s heritage mansion of eclectic design and architecture. Built at the end of the 19th century by one of local history’s famous personalities, the ‘Hai Kee Chan’ or Sea Remembrance Store had once served as the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee. Though not a Baba himself, his Chinese courtyard house was much like a typical large Baba home of eclectic style, incorporating Chinese carved-wood panels and English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks. Having survived the many decades of neglect and decay, the mansion has now been restored to its former glory of a stately home.

Visiting hours:

Monday-Friday from 9.30 am to 5 pm.
Saturday from 9.30 am to 3 pm (closed on Sunday and public holidays).
Admission: Adults (ages 12 and above) - RM 10.
Children below 12 - Free.