CHAPTER 2

THE TRAIL
2.1 STREET OF GEORGE TOWN
The street names of George Town reflect the multicultural heritage of the city, the capital
of a former British settlement of Penang, now part of Malaysia, which has a largely Chinese
population.
Most streets in the city were built and named during the colonial era, and the historic
English names generally remain and are still used by most Penang sites. Since the passage of
the National Language Act 1967, government policy has been to use the Malay language for all
official purposes, and the Malay translations of the street names are the official versions that are
used on street signs.
In addition to the official English and Malay names, many streets in central George Town
have a mostly unrelated and original set of road names in Penang Hokkien, the language of the
majority of Penang's majority Malaysian Chinese community. These are noted in the table below
using the Peh-oe-ji notation common in Taiwan. As the Hokkien names cited here are not
official, and are based on an oral tradition, they may be out of date. For the derivation of the
Hokkien names, see the reference links at the bottom of this article. Many streets also have
Cantonese names that are less well – known and are not documented here.
Since independence, there have been some changes to the official names of some
streets, which are noted below in their Malay forms. However, like Singapore and unlike many
other cities in Malaysia, George Town has retained most of its colonial street names, although
until recently they have been indicated on street signs only in their Malay translations.
Until 2007, street signs in George Town were only written in Malay, as a result of the
national language policy. Unfortunately, this had the effect of confusing tourists, who found it
difficult to match the English names commonly used by Penang sites with the Malay names on
street signs which were often very different. In the case of proper nouns, the English name is
easily recognisable, e.g. Kimberley Street is Lebuh Kimberley. In other cases, the Malay
translation may be unfamiliar to those who do not speak the language, e.g. Church St is literally
translated as Lebuh Gereja (from the Portuguese gereja). A few streets have been given
completely new names in Malay.
Even where official street names have changed, the local population have largely
continued informally to use the old names when referring to streets. This is partly because the
new names are often unwieldy for example Green Lane vs Jalan Masjid Negeri, but also reflects
a strong conservatism in the local population, who see Penang's colonial history as part of their
local identity. Several years ago, when Scott Road was renamed to the tongue-twisting Jalan D
S Ramanathan, after the first Mayor of the City of George Town, the new street signs were
repeatedly defaced and had to be replaced many times, eventually forcing the city authorities to
fix a replacement street sign fifteen feet up a lamppost (instead of at waist-height, as was then
usual).
In Furthermore, since 2007, street signs have started to indicate the street names in
Malay and English, as well as the town and postcode. There is as yet no official recognition of
the traditional Chinese names of streets, which are now increasingly unfamiliar to young
Penang sites, but it is likely that this will change as a result of political developments in Penang.
In June 2007, while Penang was under the rule of Gerakan, street signs in Chinese were
illegally set up by Penang's DAP Socialist Youth division along several roads in George Town
under the justification it helps attract tourists from China, only to be removed by the Penang
Municipal Council.
On 22 July 2008 following DAP's electoral victory in Penang and George Town's entry
into UNESCO's World Heritage Site list, Gerakan was reported to have placed Chinese –
language on existing street signs at six roads, claiming the signs were now vital with George
Town's recognition by UNESCO and serve as a reminder to DAP of its earlier promises to erect
such signs if voted into office. DAP Socialist Youth Secretary Koay Teng Hai had also proposed
to include Tamil and Jawi translations, depending on the cultural background of the area, along
with Chinese street names.
Penang's UMNO Youth division, however, objected to Gerakan's move and called for the
Chinese street signs to be removed, urging the local government and government agencies to
solely allow road signs written in Malay. The state government has since removed the signs, but
announced its intention to put up signs in various languages for the benefit of tourists.
Malay
English (current
Etymology Hokkien name Hokkien etymology
name official)
name
Aboo Sittee Lorong Abu 三牲巷 Sam-seng-
Gangsters' lane
Lane Siti hāng
Acheen Lebuh Stone-breaking street
̍
拍石街 Phah-chioh-
Street Acheh Small high tower (after
ke
the four-storied corner
懸樓仔 Koâiⁿ-laû-á house at Acheen &
After the Acheenese (id.) Beach Sts)
Acheen
Gat Lebuh inhabitants.
Street 拍石街路頭 Phah-
Acheh
Ghaut ̍
chioh-ke lơ-̄ thâu
Acheen St landing place
懸樓仔路頭 Koâiⁿ-
laû-á lơ-̄ thâu (id.)
Lane behind the
色藍乳禮拜堂後巷
Lorong Eurasian church (Roman
Argus Lane 仔 Sek-lân-ni lé-paì-
Argus Catholic Cathedral of the
̄
tng-aū hāng-á
Assumption)
 萬葛里巷 Bang-ka-
Argyll Road Jalan Argyll Bengali lane
lí hāng
W. of Cannon St
拍銅街 Phah-tâng-
Copper-beaters' street
ke
E. of Cannon St
Gods' lane, after the
Kong-si house of the Toā
Armenian Lebuh After the Armenian
Peh Kong or Kièn Tek
Street Armenian inhabitants. 本頭公巷 Pún-thâu-
secret society (formerly
kong-hāng
at the junction of
建元街 kièn-gôan- Armenian & Pitt Streets)
ke id. there
Kièn Tek society origin
street
After Prince Alfred,
Duke Duke of Edinburgh,
Lebuh Duke
Street who visited and
stayed here in 1869.
Old government office
Self-describing. New corner (King Edward
Malay name after Place). When Gurney
Jalan Tun 舊關仔角 Kū-koan-
Tun Syed Sheh Drive was built, it was
Esplanade Syed Sheh á-kak (also King
Barakbah, Governor called the new
Barakbah Edward Place)
of Penang (1969- Esplanade even though
1975). there are no government
offices there.
Jalan Road leading from
Esplanade 草埔海墘路 Chhaú- Grass field (cricket
Padang Kota Light St to the
Road pơ haí-kiⁿ-lơ̄ id. ground) shorefront road
Lama Esplanade
W. of Leith St
紅毛路 Âng-mơ-̂ lơ̄
(also Northam Rd, European road
to which it joins)
Leith St - Love Lane
Lotus-flower pond, after
a lotus-pond formerly at
the side of the old St
After R. T. Farquhar, George's Girl's School,
Farquhar Lebuh Lieutenant-Governor which was filled up on
蓮花河 Liên-hoa-hô
Street Farquhar of Penang (1804- account of many
色蘭乳學前 Sek-lân- accidents involving
1805)
̍
ni-oh-chêng id. people trying to get at
the lotus.
In front of the Serani
school (St Xavier's
School)
E. of Love Lane
紅毛學前 Âng-mơ-̂ In front of the old Penang
̍
oh-chêng Free School
Glugor Jalan After the area of
 Glugor, where it
Road Gelugor
leads
缎巴尼 Toān pá-lí Mr Paddy's (land)
Green Hall Green Hall
麒麟虎 Ki-lin hơ̄ (phonetic)
Self-describing. New
Green Jalan Masjid 青草巷 Chhεⁿ-
Malay name after the Green grass lane
Lane Negeri chhaú-hāng
state mosque there.
After Sir Henry
Gurney, High
Commissioner of the
Gurney Persiaran Federation of Malaya 新關仔角 Sin-koan-
New Esplanade
Drive Gurney (1950-1951) á-kak
assassinated during
the Malayan
Emergency.
After the island of
Hong Kong. New
Malay name after
Cheong Fatt Tze,
Jalan 19th century
Hong Kong 香港街 Hiang-káng-
Cheong Fatt merchant and Hong Kong street
Street ke
Tze Chinese consul in
Penang, despite the
fact that the famous
CFT mansion is not
here, but on Leith St.
Hospital Jalan After the Penang
̄
病厝路 Pεⁿ-chhù-lơ̄ Hospital road
Road Hospital General Hospital
N. of Bishop St
九間厝後 Kaú-
Behind the nine houses
keng-chhū-aū
Bishop St – China St
Cantonese Heavenly
Emperor's street, after
廣東大伯公街 Kuíⁿ-
the Cantonese temple
tang-toā-pεh-kong-
there
ke
Opium farm street, after
亞片公司街 À- the Opium & Spirit Farms
After King George III phièn-kong-si-ke id. at the junction with China
King Street Lebuh King
(reigned 1760-1820).
St
China St – Market St
舊和勝公司街 Kū- Old Ho Seng secret
hô-seng-kong-si-ke society street
S. of Market St
吉寧仔街 Kiet-lêng-
á-ke (also Market
St, formerly also Indian street
Chulia St (E. of Pitt
St))
Light Street Lebuh Light After Captain Francis 玻理口 Po-lê-khaú Entrance to the Police
Light, Founder of Court, now the
 Penang and
Superintendent of Legislative Assembly
the colony (1786- buildings
1794)
After J. R. Logan,
lawyer and editor of
the Pinang Gazette,
to whom the Logan
Logan
Jalan Logan Memorial in the
Road
grounds of the
Supreme Court
Building on Light St
is dedicated.
色蘭乳巷 Sek-lân-
Eurasian (Serani) lane,
Love Lane Lorong Cinta ní-hāng (also
after the inhabitants
Muntri St)
南華醫院街 Lâm-
hoa-i īⁿ-ke Lam Wah Ee Hospital
新海南公司街 Sin- street, after the hospital
Muntri hái-lâm-kong-si-ke formerly here
Lebuh Muntri
Street id. New Hainanese
色蘭乳巷 Sek-lân- association street
ní-hāng id. (also Eurasian lane
Love Lane)
拍索巷 Phah-soh-
hāng (also
Ropemakers' lane
Kimberley St)
Ghee Hock society street
Jalan Pintal After the ropewalk 義福街 Ｇ ī-hok-ke
Rope Walk
Tali formerly there id.
S. of Kimberley St
Kerosene-lamp tube
煙筒路 Ien-tâng-lơ̄
road
觀音亭後 Koan-im-
Behind the Goddess of
Stewart Lorong têng-aū
Mercy temple
Lane Stewart 三板巷 Sam-pán- Boat lane
hāng id.
Table 2.0: List of street names in George Town.
Source: Khoo, S. N., (1993)

2.2 PENANG HERITAGE TRAILS AND IT SIGNIFICANT

This trip is to full fill our project for conservation paper. Our trip was divided into two
groups in Penang Heritage trail one and Penang Heritage trail two. Our group that consist five
group member was in trail two that the main visited is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion that was built
long time ago, while trail one have been visited the Harmony Road that consist many religious
places and we can conclude that all religious can live together in harmony and peace.

Penang Heritage Trail is not enough if just giving education to the people about heritage
building and cultural value there. The trail also conscious us about the entire valuable thing that
belong to us and must be well care to keep the buildings which symbolize our beautiful culture
for the future generation. The buildings might be unimportant to certain peoples but for
UNESCO it is a huge means to the world community and should be much appreciated.

Along the trail, most of the buildings have their own unique characteristics and historical
value. It’s obviously will seen by the architectural values, the buildings type and style, beautiful
and rare artworks, decorations, buildings function and many mores. Besides, various culture
and races can be described by the looks of the building which situated side by side, it also
identified that our peoples live in harmony without any conflict even come from different root and
heritage. That why we can see building such a Town Hall, City Hall, High Court, Penang State
Museum, Church of Assumption, St. George Church, shop houses, Blue Mansions, mosques
and many more are built at the same area and close from each other.

The Penang States Government and related parties also give fully cooperation to
conserve the heritage buildings around that area. This kind of works are gladly appreciated
because of the commitment that given by the each parties. As examples, the Cheong Fatt Tze
Mansion was nominated and awarded as the best conservation works done by that particular
year. Other building show the incoming culture and religion to the Penang like St George
Church which built a few years lately from other building around it because of the their religion
different from others. Some of the shop houses along this trail show various kinds of culture and
style in design of the building. They show the cultural value of that area which maybe didn’t
have at the other place in the world. As long as this building is in good condition, it must be
maintain and preserve to make sure it can be a good learning method for the future generation
in order that they will appreciate it.