The third day of our stay in Penang we decided to take a tour around the island. We rented a minivan and planned our tour to see local places of interest.
We began our tour from WAT CHAYAMANGKALARAM
- This Buddhist temple of
Thai architecture on a 5-acre site,
it houses the world's third largest reclining Buddha which measures 33
metres. Behind the statue are niches where urns containing the ashes
of the dead are stored. A nine-storey pagoda approximately 165 feet high and
reputed to be the highest such structure in the country is found
on the site. There are also statues of gigantic serpents, mystical creatures that link earth
to
heaven, from the balustrades at the entrance to the meditation hall. Located at Burmah Lane, admission is free. Photography is not permitted within the temple. So we used videocam to record the smile of sleeping Buddha from the outside.
KHOO KONGSI - The Khoo Kongsi (Leong San Thong - Dragon Mountain Hall) is the most picturesque clan temple in Malaysia. The two-storey edifice has pillars and walls adorned with meticulous carvings and gold leaf inlays and roofbeams made of the finest wood from ancient China. Located at Cannon Square, admission is free.
FORT CORNWALLIS and KING EDWARD CIRCUS
CLOCK TOWER - Originally a wooden structure, it was rebuilt between 1808
and 1810 by convict labour. Protruding from the fort's rampart are cannons
retrieved by the British from pirates who had captured them from the
Johore Sultanate. The main cannon 'Seri Rambau' is said to date back to
1613 and, according to local belief, childless women can conceive by
placing flowers in its barrel and offering special prayers. The fort is
also used as an amphitheatre.
The 60 foot clock tower built at the entrance to the fort was presented to the town by a local millionaire in 1897 in conjunction with Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, each foot signifying one year of her reign. Both structures above are at the Esplanade.
KEK LOL SI - It is the most famous and biggest Buddhist temple in Malaysia and one of the firsts built in SE Asia. Work on the temple started in 1890 along the hill slope of Air Itam and took more than two decades to complete. Although there are many altars built along the hill, the dominating structure is the seven-tier, 30 metre high Ban Po That Pagoda (Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas) which combines Chinese, Thai and Burmese architecture and craftsmanship.
This was the end of our tour that day. But on our back way we made one more stop at KOMTAR - a 65 storey tower atop a 4-storey podium block. Once tallest in SE Asia, it houses all government departments, prime commercial space with civic and recreational facilities. KOMTAR is stragetically situated in the heart of the city on an 11 hectare site.
In a day we made another interesting
ramble to PENANG HILL - a popular rendezvous for the local people and visitors, the hill is 830 metres above sea level. Transport to the summit is by means of a funicular railway, which takes 30 minutes. Here the temperature drops to 18 C, a welcome change from the heat below. It offers a panoramic view of Georgetown and the coastal areas of the mainland. Facilities up the hill include children's playground, teahouse, hotel, hill mosque and an Indian temple. The railway station is located at Air Itam and the services normally operate until late evening.
As entomologists we had our own goal at the hill. We went there to collect butterflies. Look at the picture to the right. It is Idea leuconoe. It was the species we were hunting for at Penang Hill. We used our white nets to attract butterflies flying in the tops of the trees and once a butterfly came down it was captured. We spent a half of a day at the hill and had a great possibility to enjoy amazing panoramic views of Penang. We also saw the mainland part of Malaysia in the distance and the famost Penang Bridge connecting Penang and Malay Peninsula.
One day we visited FOREST RECREATION PARK - This is a beautifully landscaped park, on the northwest coast of the island. It covers 100 hectares, has several freshwater pools, footpaths, rest huts, and a children's playground. There is a forestry museum which houses exhibits of tropical timbers and their products and preserved insect species. Located at Teluk Bahang, 24 km from Georgetown and entrance is free.
This funny picture was made at Chin Farm Waterfall Park located not far from the Bayu Emas Apartments.
Time flew and first week of our stay in Penang came to the end. Vladimir Yanpol went home on business. We had another week in Malaysia and were going to make a trip to mainland part of Malaysia. >>