7 days in Malaysia- 6/16- 6/21/2024

Day 5 -Walking in George Town-6/19/2024

After finishing our visits to Chew Jetty, Tan Jetty, Lee Jetty, and the New Mixed Jetty, we slowly make our way back toward The George Hotel, feeling pleasantly tired from the walk and full of impressions.

Along the way, we pass Khoo Kongsi, its grand presence standing quietly behind its ornate walls, one of those places that feels heavy with history even if you only glimpse it from the outside.

A little further on Armenian Street, we walked by Gudang Café, the building marked with a bold “1950” on top. The number feels nostalgic, fitting the street’s creative, slightly retro atmosphere, where old shop-houses now blend cafés, galleries, and street art.

As we continue, I notice a canal running alongside the road, its water surprisingly clear as it flows steadily forward. It adds a gentle sense of movement to the walk and reminds me how George Town quietly weaves water management into its historic streetscape.

We eventually reach the corner of Beach Street and Armenian Street Ghaut.

On the left stands a prominent heritage building, solid and stately, typical of the old commercial architecture in this part of George Town. This area was once the heart of trade and finance near the waterfront, and the buildings still carry that sense of importance, thick walls, tall windows, and a formal, almost colonial elegance.

At the corner, a street performer is singing while playing a guitar. His music drifts through the intersection, softening the busy surroundings and bringing the moment to life. People slow down, some pause to listen, and for a brief moment, history, everyday city life, and music all come together, an unexpectedly perfect note to our leisure walk.

Turning onto Beach Street, the large two-story yellow building with Chinese characters on top immediately stands out. Buildings like this are quite typical and significant in George Town. Many along Beach Street were once Chinese clan associations, trading houses, or merchant offices, especially tied to shipping, banking, and import–export businesses when this area was the commercial heart of Penang.
The bold color, symmetrical façade, and Chinese signage reflect how Chinese communities adapted European colonial building forms while clearly marking ownership and identity through language and symbols.

From there, walking along Acheen Street, the mood shifts. The street feels quieter and more intimate, and we pass under rows of quaint archways. These archways are not purely British in origin, but rather a hybrid architectural feature that became common during the colonial period.

Known locally as five-foot ways, they were encouraged under British town planning regulations but adapted by Chinese and local builders.
They serve practical purposes, providing shade from sun and rain, creating sheltered walkways, and over time became a defining feature of Penang’s heritage streets. Walking beneath them feels like moving through a continuous, protected corridor of history.

We stop briefly at a souvenir shop, tucked neatly beneath one of the arches, before continuing on.

Along the way, we spot a piece of street art: a cat framed by blue and green window panels. It’s simple but charming, blending perfectly into the architecture around it. Like much of George Town’s street art, it feels playful and observant, small moments of creativity woven into old walls, waiting to be noticed.

We paused at a local coffee shop for fresh coconut.  Once the juice is gone, they cut the coconut top and then shaved the meat for us to eat.

This heritage building in George Town isn't just preserved as history but often livened up with modern uses, while still keeping their old architectural character in the façade. It is now the home to a batik boutique and workshop.  Batek-Lah specializes in authentic Malaysian batik, with hand-printed and hand-drawn textiles turned into shirts, dresses, scarves, and more. You can often find colorful pieces here that make lovely souvenirs, and the staff can explain batik techniques and designs as well.

We are now on Armenian street and this area is really charming. Today, the historic architecture often houses cafés, bakeries, pastry shops, galleries, and small boutiques on the ground floor, with residences or offices above. So while it’s a heritage area, it’s not exclusively residential, it’s very much a living street with mixed usage.

There are a lot of Beautiful old shop houses and heritage façades line the street, many with pastel colors, decorative tiles, wooden shutters, and carved detailing. These buildings were originally built as shop-houses, combined commercial/residential spaces that were home to merchants and tradespeople.

This metal sculpture refers to what the Hokkien community called this area “Pak Thang-ah Kay” is part of a group of street art pieces that celebrate local history and culture. Pak Thang-ah Kay literally means “Coppersmith’s Street” in Hokkien, a name that reflects how this part of town used to be known for copper and brass workers and metal trades in the 19th century.

Armenian Street

We arrived at Choo Chay Keong Temple, a quiet yet meaningful stop that blends naturally into the historic streetscape. Choo Chay Keong is a small Chinese temple, traditionally associated with the local Chinese community and clan-based worship. Unlike the grand clan houses nearby, it feels intimate and neighborhood-scaled, a place for everyday prayer rather than spectacle.

What makes this spot especially striking is its setting. The temple sits beside a row of elegant heritage buildings with white trim, classical pediments, and symmetrical façades. These architectural details reflect European neoclassical influence, common in George Town during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when wealthy Chinese merchants adopted Western styles for their shop-houses and clan properties. The contrast works beautifully: the richly colored, traditional temple tucked next to refined, almost stately façades.

Standing at Pitt Street and Market Street, we are right in the middle of one of George Town’s most layered historic areas. The beautiful two-story building with the upper floor painted a soft peach and lined with many windows is a classic example of a Straits Eclectic shop house. These buildings were designed to be airy and bright, with tall windows to catch light and breeze in the tropical heat. The pastel color adds a gentle elegance, while the symmetry of the façade reflects the prosperity of merchants who once lived upstairs and ran businesses below.

As we walked further along Stewart Lane, the street becomes more intimate and visually playful. The colorful buildings here feel almost curated, each with distinctive doors, some wooden and carved, others painted in bold hues, some with glass panels or decorative grilles.

These doors were once a quiet way for owners to express identity, taste, and status, even when the buildings followed similar structural forms.

Many of these Stewart Lane buildings have been carefully restored and now house boutique hotels, cafés, galleries, or private residences, giving the street a refined but welcoming feel.

 The variety of colors and door designs makes walking here feel like moving through a living gallery, every doorway a small story, every façade a blend of old-world craftsmanship and modern care.

As we walked on, we passed by “The Indian Boatman,” one of George Town’s most quietly powerful murals. Painted on an old wall, it shows an Indian man standing beside a small boat, rendered in a realistic, almost weathered style.

 The figure feels grounded and dignified, reflecting the many Indian boatmen who once worked along Penang’s waterfront, ferrying people and goods between ships and shore before modern ports existed. Like much of George Town’s street art, the painting isn’t flashy; it blends into the wall, as if it has always belonged there, letting history speak softly through everyday labor.

Continuing forward, the buildings remain colorful but clearly older, their paint slightly faded, textures uneven, and details worn by time. This part of the walk feels less polished and more authentic, layers of history visible in peeling paint, patched walls, and mismatched shutters.

On the back of one old building, we noticed a piece of graffiti, signed “FBR CLOAK TRESUX 2024.”

It feels more contemporary and urban compared to the heritage murals, bold, expressive, and unapologetically modern. The contrast works well here: new voices leaving their mark on old walls, showing that George Town’s art scene is still evolving, not frozen in time.

On Nuntri Street the atmosphere shifts again. The street is lined with two-story buildings, close together and human-scaled, forming a gentle corridor of heritage shop houses.

It feels quieter and more residential, with less foot traffic and more of a neighborhood rhythm.

The façades are simple but charming, and walking here feels like stepping into a calmer chapter of the city, an understated ending to a walk filled with art, history, and color.

Looking up we spotted a piece of street art of a little girl dressed in blue, painted high on the wall. Because the street is so quiet and nearly empty, the mural feels almost intimate, like a small, secret discovery meant for those who wander slowly and pay attention. The soft color and gentle expression of the girl stand out against the aged wall, adding a quiet note of innocence to the calm street.

Nuntri street feels peaceful and residential

Passion Heart Café, the mood becomes even more relaxed. The café’s outdoor seating opens toward what feels like a small garden view, shaded and green, an inviting spot to pause and rest after a long walk through the city.

A few steps later, we stopped briefly at the Snake Temple. From the outside, its entrance gate is striking, traditional Chinese in style, with bold colors, decorative rooflines, and guardian figures that suggest protection and mystery. Even without going inside, the gate alone hints at the temple’s unique identity and draws curiosity from passersby.

Continuing on, we reached Penang Road, where the atmosphere shifts again. The space opens up, traffic and movement increase, and a clusters of pigeons gathering on the pavement, fluttering, hopping, and briefly filling the air as people walk by. It feels lively and urban, a contrast to the quiet streets we’ve just left behind.

We arrived back at The George Hotel just in time for lunch, perfectly timed after the morning’s exploration.

 Still energized, we walked a little further and decide on Saigon House Cuisine.

Hoa loves pho, so finding a real Vietnamese restaurant felt like a small victory after the long walk. From the first spoonful, it was clear this was the real thing, the broth was fragrant and comforting, rich without being heavy, and deeply satisfying. It was exactly the kind of pho that tastes familiar and honest. The meal is simple and satisfying: a comforting bowl of pho, fragrant and warm.

I ordered the sticky rice served with two types of chicken: grilled chicken with honey, and steam chicken, both were flavorful and so delicious.

The portion is so copious here!  We were genuinely happy to recognize the flavors, happy to eat something so comforting, and happy to end the walk with a meal that felt just right.

NEXT... Day 5- Dinner at Indigo inside the Cheon Fatt Tze-The Blue Mansion