Colonial Georgetown in Penang

Walking around the historic part of Penang on Sunday afternoon. Stumbling on the Deepavali streets of sales and music in the Indian section. Slurping Chinese noodle soup in an open-air "restoran". Admiring "Clan Houses". Staying longer in the Penang Museum than expected in order to enjoy the air-conditioning.

Yap Kongsi Clan House - smell the incense

Close-up of the column in front of the Clan House

Show-and-Tell of living inside Khoo Kongsi Clan House

Khoo Kongsi clan members who succeeded in higher education

Morality tale from the Khoo Kongsi Clan House

From the Penang Museum:

Kongsi or Clan Houses were established by early Chinese immigrants to assist their clansmen from the same district or village in China.  Many of these clan houses evolved into rich and powerful associations, providing members with welfare services, emergency funds in times of crisis, as well as financial and educational assitance. The kongsi occasionally adjudicated in settling disputes among members.

Streets full of fun for Deepavali, Hindu Festival of Lights

Colored rice is spread in beautiful designs. Most are very big and surrounded by candles or lights.

St. George's Church

Street scene showing architecture and a trishaw, a pedal-taxi with shade.

Acheen Street Mosque

Cathedral of the Assumption, named for the feast day on which its founders landed here.

Penang is amazing. You can see all the Hindu gods in the temple, smell the incense as you pass the Buddhist temple, experience the call to prayer as you see people bow to Allah, and go to a protestant or Catholic service.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

From the Lonely Planet guide:

Built in the 1880's, the magnificent 38-room, 220-window Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was commissioned by Cheong Fatt Tze, a local Hakka merchant-trader. The future entrepreneur left China as a penniless teenager and eventually established a vast financial empire throughout east Asia, earning himself the dual sobriquets 'Rockefeller of the East' and the 'last Mandarin'.

Back to my hotel to watch the Rugby World Cup, and then on to the airport for the ultra-long flight back.