Two Sore Backs

This post captures the amazing street art we see during our walks to coffee places and other sights in the Old Town of George Town (on Penang Island). Old Town has UNESCO heritage status. Today’s Old Town is surrounded by urban development to its north, west and south sides. The east side retains the charm of the old port with many jetties where locals live and work.

A bit of history to set the scene.

Traders from Asia (Persia, Arabia India, and China) as well as Europe (Portuguese) travelled east through the Strait of Melaka and on to the South China Sea back in the 15th Century. During the monsoon season these traders stopped in Penang and Melaka to take shelter. And some stayed and married. It is not surprising that both cities have old towns with UNESCO status given such a rich and diverse cultural heritage.

There is a rich maritime history.

Rope Walk Street

‘Rope walk was named after the rope making activities on the street’. ROPE WALK

Ropes were necessary in shipping and also for bullock carts. All the rope making businesses congregated here. Our hotel is on this street.

A quick comment about the steel rod installations:

Marking Georgetown consists of 52 steel rod sculptures (we only have photos of 6-fail!). Erected earlier this century, these scultures tell the history or backstory to a property, street or area in earlier times. They are so cleaver and funny!!

Armenian Street

Rich history here. In the early 19th century many Armenian traders made this street home. There were also many Chinese families on this street. Two very famous Armenians – the Sarkies brothers – lived here. These brothers founded The Eastern and Orient Hotel in the 1880’s. This hotel is a sister hotel to Raffles in Singapore.

And Sun Yat Sen planned his overthrow of the Quin dynasty and the creation of the Republic of China (now Taiwan) from a townhouse on Armenian Street (1910).

There are a few streets like Armenian Street known for their artwork. Tourists congregate here. We walk this street many times and it is always busy.

The most famous street art installation on Armenian Street is called ‘Children On a Bicycle’.

This artwork was created in 2012 by Ernest Zacharevic, a Penang-based Lithuanian artist. This amazing creation features two painted children “sitting” on a real bicycle.

Another art installation featuring a bicycle (also on Armenian Street) or is it advertising for the bike shop in behind?

‘The Hakkiens called this street Pak Thang Au Kay or Coppersmith’s Street a reference to early Malay braziery making brass and copper wares’. ARMENIAN STREET

So who are the Hakkiens? Many Penang Chinese lived here so it is fitting that is celebrated.

‘The Tua Pek Kong Hueoh Grand Float Procession is held in the Year of the Tiger to wash away bad luck and bring great health and wealth’. ARMENIAN STREET

Other murals on Armenian Street

Bicycles

‘Locally known as beca, most of the rickshaw peddlers doubled as tourist guides’

I imagine this to be true today. We did not take a rickshaw – our loss.

Campbell Street

This street was once the red-light district. We are in the center of Chinatown and the murals reflect its mercantile past.

Three scenes: shoppers, streetcar, rickshaw in from of Campbell’s Store

Toh Soon Cafe has moved into an alley around the corner and is a favorite of locals and tourists- known for traditional Penang breakfasts.

Church Street

A Portuguese Catholic Church was built here in the early part of the 18th century. About 100 years later there were disagreements amongst the Chinese secret sects in the neighborhood. The richest person on Penang Island at this time, Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee, took over another sect’s headquarters. The building became his home. We tour Pinang Peranakan Mansion. I’ll describe the mansion in the next post.

Ah Quee Street

I’ll guess that Kapitan Chung Keng Khee had a few houses. So the story below is fitting.

‘This street is named after Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee who generously donated his house to the municipality for vehicular access assuring that his name lives on for posterity’. AH QUEE STREET

We came across a few other murals on the street.

Other times we come across a random mural as we pass by.

In the next post we’ll tell you what we got up to while in George Town and Penang Island.