Historical Stewart Lane | Georgetown heritage city walk
Historical Stewart Lane | Georgetown heritage city walk | ||||
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You can take a walk from the Goodess of Mercy Temple, through the residential area around Lorong Stewart, and from Lebuh Muntri to Lebuh Leith. On your way, do drop in at the Penang Heritage Trust office at 26A Lorong Stewart. Any inquiries, suggestions and offers of assistance are most welcome. The trust occupies a turn-of-the-century shophouse which was formerly a Hainanese seafarers' lodge called Loon Ngee Hing, literally, "Lodge of the Artisans of the Wheel". The trust intends to start a small heritage souvenir shop and reading corner, offering coffee, cakes and sandwiches. Most of the Chinese artisans who came to Penang hailed from Canton, and their associations are concentrated in this neighbourhood. In 1794, Francis Light wrote that "The Chinese residents are the most skilful carpenters, construction workers and machinery workers". The mid-19th century Carpenters' Guild or Lo Pan Hang in Lorong Love, is the association of Cantonese carpenters and other builders whose forefathers constructed many of Penang's heritage buildings, as well as highly skilled joiners who crafted the Straits Chinese and other "colonial" furniture. Lo Pan is the patron deity of all Chinese carpenters, and carpentry is first among all the building trades. All builders who came to Malaya first stayed at the guild premises before proceeding to other parts of the country to work. An early 19th century compound house, formerly the "Japanese Club" and now a multi-family tenement Due to the modernisation of the building industry, the role and status of carpenters has been greatly diminished. However, these old tradesmen still play a curcial part in the repair and on-going maintenance of our heritage buildings. As many of the workers are wage-labourers, on no-work days, they gather here to play mah-jong. The Penang Heritage Trust initiated a project for the guild members to start restoring their building, and is helping to raise funds through a street party, antique fair and silent auction. Next to the Carpenters' Guild on Lorong Love is the Shih Chung school and opposite that is the Sun Tak Association. In the vicinity are more associations belonging to the Cantonese and Hainanese. From east to west along Lebuh Muntri, you will find, on your left, the Tailors' Association, the surname association Leong See Kah Meow, the Goldsmith's Guild, the Penang Restaurant and Tea Shops Association, the Penang and Province Wellesley Café Association and the Hainanese Association. The Goldsmith's Guild or Ta Kam Hong, founded in 1832, is the oldest and largest association of goldsmiths in Malaysia. The present guild temple was erected on Lebuh Muntri in 1903. On your right is the former Lam Wah Ee Hospital and the Shaolin Athletic Association. The latter provides traditional Chinese physiotherapy and also serves as a centre for martial arts training. Quite a number of Western tourists have been attracted to learn martial arts here. The Hainanese were the last of the five major dialect groups (the Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese, Teochew and Hainan) to migrate to Penang. They found most occupations already monopolised by the others. In the early 20th century , they somehow created a niche for themselves as cooks, coffee-shop owners and hoteliers. The Hainanese Association or Thean Ho Keong on Lebuh Muntri was founded in 1895. The temple committee decided their temple was too plain and so for their centenary, they invited hokkien craftsmen from china to beautify the temple. The result is a visually wondrous Hokkien-style facade complete with swirling roof decorations and dragon pillars, guaranteed to confound future cultural interpreters. Opposite is the Hong Kong shoe store, where you can get custom-made Nyonya-style beaded slippers. | ||||
