George Town Heritage Trails | Tourist Notes 2

Yap Kongsi Temple

As you approach Lebuh Armenian, you will see the Acheen Street Mosque minaret straight ahead in the distance, the Yap Kongsi temple on the right, and on the left, a corner coffeeshop, with the entrance to the Tua Pek Kong Temple next to it. The Tua Pek Kong Temple, dedicated to the Chinese God of Prosperity, was formerly the base of the Straits Chinese secret society called the Tua Pek Kong Society.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Penang Base

Follow the graceful curve of Lebuh Armenian. The low and rickety shophouses on your right survive from the early 19th century, when this area was a village composed mainly of Malays and Sumatrans, In the mid-19th century, the Straits Chinese moved into the area and built residential shophouses which were of a fine standard for their time.

You will come to a blue shophouse on your right, No. 120 Lebuh Armenian, which dates from the 1870s. The first owner was a Straits Chinese named Cheah Joo Seang, a trustee of the Cheah Kongsi. The shophouse has kept its original historic interior, with carved timber screens and air wells.

From 1909-1911, it was the base of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, leader of the historic Chinese Revolution, and the headquarters of the Southeast Asian branch of the Tung Meng Hooi. The local Chinese of that time supported Dr. Sun Yat Sen in the great movement against the Manchu government and the foreign imperialists in China. In 1911, China became the first republic in Asia and Dr. Sun Yat Sen became its first provisional president. Click here for full story 

Syed Alatas Mansion

Proceed towards the junction of Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Acheh. On your left is a children's playground.

On your right is a lovely double- stdrff bungalow set in a walled compound. This is the Syed Alatas Mansion, recently restored in a government-funded pilot demonstration project undertaken with French technical assistance in 1993. Before restoration, the bungalow was occupied by Indian Chettiar scrap dealers and was used as a collection yard. It is now the Penang Islamic Museum.  Click here for full story

Syed Mohamed Alatas was a wealthy Achehnese merchant of Arab descent who traded between Penang and Aceh. After the Dutch laid siege on Aceh in the early 1870s, he was instrumental in smuggling arms to the Achehnese resistance. Syed Mohamed Alatas resided here with his first wife, a Malay of royal descent. His second wife was the daughter of Khoo Tiang Poh, a leading Straits Chinese pepper merchant, shipping tycoon and a leader of the Khoo clan.

Lebub Acheh

From here you can turn right onto Lebuh Acheh. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, this was the street of Sumatran and Malay traders. The Arab and Achehuese pepper merchants of North Sumatra, such as Syed Mohamed Alatas, were the leaders of this community. In the old days when the Muslim pilgrimage was more often made by ship rather than by airplane, this street was the centre of Haj activities. Pilgrims came from North Sumatra, South Thailand and the Northern Peninsula to make their travel arrangements and embark on the Haj. In this area, bustling with travel agencies, shops, restaurants and lodging-houses, the pilgrims mingled, shopped and attended religious gatherings while awaiting the ships that would take them to Mecca. Today, there are still some shops in front of the mosque selling Islamic books and prayer accessories.

Malay Mosque, Acheen Street

The octagonal minaret marks the entrance to the Arheen Street Mosque, founded in 1808 by a wealthy Arab merchant prince from the Acehnese royal family.

The mosque is located in the middle of a large compound, surrounded by detached houses which are rare survivors of the mid-19th century village. You can walk clockwise around the mosque, passing the cemetery where the mosque founder, Tengku Syed Hussain, is buried. Click here for full story

Khoo Kongsi

Coming out of the mosque compound, walk straight ahead onto Lebuh Cannon. This street is supposedly named after a hole in the ground made by cannon balls fired into the area during the Penang Riots of 1867. These were the secret society wars, fought between local groups, which the British tried to suppress. The Straits Chinese from the surrounding clan associations together with the Acheen Street Mosque community formed an alliance against later Chinese immigrants and the Rope Walk Mosque community.

On your left, you will see a row of Straits ecletic-style terrace houses from the late 1930s, faced with Shanghai plaster. On your right are a plainer row of shophouses from the late 19th century. Enter the porte cochere in the middle of the row to visit Penang's most famous historic monument, the Khoo Kongsi at Medan Cannon. You will walk through a charming street flanked by rows of mid-19th century shophouses. Turn right and you will see the recently renovated Khoo Kongsi office building before you come to the majestic Khoo Kongsi, a gloriously ornate late Ch'ng dynasty temple, and the theatre building. Both were recently restored.

The Khoo Kongsi is a clan association of the Leong San Tong (Dragon Mountain Hall) clan, whose forefathers come from Sin Kang clan village in Hokkien province. The Khoos were among the wealthy Straits Chinese traders of 17th century Malacca and early Penang. In the 19th century, the clan complex resembled a miniature clan village, with its own self-government as well as educational, financial, welfare and social organisations. The clan temple was built in 1906 when the Khoo clan was at the height of its wealth and eminence in Penang society.

Cheah Kongsi

Like the Khoo Kongsi and the Acheen Street Mosque, the Cheah Kongsi is located in a large compound accessible only through a narrow entrance. Coming through the gateway, you will find a little surprise - a splendid double- storey Chinese temple with an open balcony and sweeping roof, decorated with British lionheads, standing on the edge of a small but well-kept lawn.

Straight ahead is the association's office building, with a charming heritage interior. You can ask for permission to enter the office building and the temple during office hours. 

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