| PENANG |
| The
beautiful Pearl Of The Orient |
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I
come from the beautiful island of penang in malaysia, also popularly
known as the 'pearl of the orient'. The pictures below shows some
images about this famous resort island. |
| The pagoda
at the Kek Lok Si Temple, Ayer Itam, Penang. |
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"The
Pearl of the Orient" lies on the north-western coast
of Peninsular Malaysia. The state comprises an island
of some 285 sq. km and a narrow strip of approximately
760 sq. km on the mainland known as Seberang Perai (Province
Wellesley separated by a channel 3 km wide at the closest
point). They are linked by the Penang Bridge and a 24-hour
ferry service. Its population of more than 1 million represents
a happy mix of the major races found in Malaysia with
Malays making up 32%, the Chinese 59% and Indians 7%. |
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Georgetown,
at the north-eastern tip of the island is the seat of administration
and is also the commercial hub of the state. This bustling metropolitan
city combines the best of east and west as seen in its fascinating
collection of fine old buildings, each bearing the stamp of different
foreign influences in its colorful history. Much of its charm
also lies in its famous golden beaches and clear blue seas. Penang
today is a resort island in full bloom - an idyllic playground
for worshippers of the sun and the sea. Its multi-racial population
contributes to a wealth of cultural attractions and festivals
for visitors to bring home memories of happy times in Penang
Penang today bears the mark of an early history of successive
foreign influences - from the early Indian Civilization that took
root in northern Malaya to that of the Portuguese, Dutch and later
the British who came to this part of the world in search of spices
and stayed to participate in the lucrative trade
The history of modern Penang can be traced back to 1786 when Francis
Light managed to persuade the Sultan of Kedah to cede "Pulau
Pinang" (island of the Betel nut) to the British East India
Company. Light landed at the site of the present Esplanade and
according to local legend, fired gold coins into the surrounding
jungle to induce his men to clear the area. The island was originally
named Prince of Wales Island and the settlement that soon grew
up was named Georgetown after King George III. In 1800, the Sultan
of Kedah further ceded a strip of land on the mainland across
the channel which Light named Province Wellesley, after the then
Governor of India. |
In 1832,
Penang formed part of the Straits Settlement with Malacca
and Singapore. It flourished and grew to be a major trading
post for a lucrative trade in tea, spices, china and cloth.
For more than a hundred years, it remained under British
Colonial rule until 1957 when it gained independence and
became one of the states of the newly formed Federation
of Malaya and later Malaysia in 1963. |
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