OFTEN referred to as one of the most liveable cities in Asia, Penang is a cornucopia of Asian culture and food, with something new to see at every turn.
During a recent visit to the city, religion featured heavily (as it does in many Asian countries) and we were exposed to one form of living in the area – the Clan Piers, a Chinese water village built on stilts, which was a real eye-opener as to just how some people live in these countries.
Walking down the ‘pier’, which is lined on either side by houses, the first thing to hit you is the smell. Rather than having flushing toilets, people obviously throw their ‘business’ straight out into the water, which is already filled with rubbish and dead rats.
You would expect the homes to match the smell, but upon looking in (which is not hard as most people leave their front doors open), the front room is often an impeccably clean shrine or prayer room.
If the rest of the home followed suit, these people are not doing too badly or simply take much pride in their homes and belongings.
We visited two temples on our visit to Penang – the first, Wat Chayaman-kalarm, which houses one of Asia’s largest reclining Buddhas, and the second, Khoo Kongsi, which is one of the most visited attractions in the city.
This temple, the second to be built after the first was destroyed in a fire, was used for the execution scene in the movie Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster.
Khoo Kongsi is located in George Town, where most of Penang’s historic architecture can be found.
The area has a lively and vibrant atmosphere, with old shops and villas lining the streets and trishaws pedalling tourists around.
In fact, one of the first things one should do upon arriving in George Town is to take a trishaw ride.
A man who looks old enough to be your great grandfather will most likely be your driver and you may get scared when that truck only just stops in time to let you pass, but in any case, it is a fun and different way to see the sights.
One more place you must visit is the Penang Batik factory, where the staff work tirelessly to create stunning hand-painted material using a wax-resistant dye.
Unfortunately, we only had a half a day in Penang, but it is most definitely a city I would love to return to and explore more thoroughly.