Penang - Chinatown

Chinatown is the oldest part of Penang. It's the bit next to the fort and the clock tower. The architecture is very typical of the region - two story shop houses along both sides of the street. There's a general feeling of decay about the whole place. Some are derelict while most need a good paint job.


The area covered by Chinatown is fairly loosely defined. Because of the British influence in setting up Penang as part of the Straits Settlements, Penang is the only province of Malaysia that has a Chinese majority


It's a pleasant enough place to walk around and observe the day to day life of the city. There's a lot of street life - hawker food stalls and road side shops.

If you keep walking, eventually the shop houses start running out to be replaced by newer buildings. It's a bit of fun!