Page 112 - Westport Guide To Malaysia

104 PLACES OF SPECIAL INTEREST
GEORGE TOWN UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
HQ: George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI)
116 & 118, Lebuh Acheh
10200 George Town, Penang
T (04) 2616 606 W gtwhi.com.my
“... A unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.”
– UNESCO, referring to both George Town and Melaka
IN BRIEF
The George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site is a unique and highly-acclaimed historical and cultural destination. Known for its rich collection of historic buildings, diverse living heritage and multicultural influences, George Town, along with Melaka, was inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7 July 2008.
LOCATION / ROUTE
The World Heritage Site covers the north-eastern cape of Penang Island. Penang is easy to reach by road and rail from Kuala Lumpur
and other major cities, and via direct flights from many domestic and international locations.
HOW TO GET THERE
The site is accessible by taxi, car or bus from Penang International Airport, and from the mainland via Penang’s two bridges. The ferry terminal, where passengers arrive from Butterworth, is located within the core zone of
the site.
An aerial view of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Butterworth and Seberang Prai (the mainland component of Penang State) in the background.
MAIN FEATURES
In 2008, Melaka and George Town were jointly inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
known as the Historic Cities
of the Straits of Malacca. The inscription was based on three Outstanding Universal Values: (1) multicultural trading towns, (2) multicultural living heritage, and (3) unique architecture and townscape.
The 109-hectare core zone and 150-hectare buffer zone contain a total of
5,013 buildings, including shophouses which are home to long-time residents, and places of worship that are still functioning as they were hundreds of years ago.
The harmonious co-existence of multicultural influences is prevalent in the Streets of Harmony, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and Lebuh Cannon, where religious buildings of different faiths are located. Also noteworthy are Little India, home to an array of
Tanjung Bungah
Kampung Masjid
Penang Hill
Penang International Airport
Kawasan Perusahaan Bebas Prai
Bukit Mertajam
Butterworth
George Town
Pulau Jerejak
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