Penang Boutique Hotel

The most charming boutique hotel in Georgetown Penang, Straits Collection is a total eclectic mix of Retail, Restaurants and Residences, over two separate rows of heritage Chinese Shophouses. It sits on the Armenian Street and Steward Lane is surrounded by a plethora of restaurants, shopping venues and is just minutes away from Harmony Street where guests will be delighted to visit the Chinese Temple, Indian Temple, Islamic Mosque and Christian Church.

Indeed a prestigious location, this recently refurbished and renovated property was built in 1927. Retaining its original classic, elegant and authentic look, Straits Collection also features timeless furnishings and up to the minute facilities at the same time. A property suitable for all whether it’s a romantic holiday, a family vacation, a social or business trip; Straits Collection pampers guests by offering full housekeeping service and a butler is available on call for all guests needs. All in all, magnificent and timeless Straits Collection is exemplary.

More photos on Straits Collection:

47a Stewart Lane Bedroom

47b Stewart lane Bedroom

49a Stewart Lane Bedroom

51a Stewart Lane Bedroom

Beijing Opera Ghaffar Pourazar

Ghaffar Pourazar, an Iranian-born, British-raised, former computer animator turned Chinese Opera performer, and Chie Morimura, a Japanese woman who is a founding member of the International Centre for Peking Opera – will stage a short excerpt from one of the most famous plays, “The Monkey King,” based on stories of the mythical Chinese figure on 7 July, 5pm-9pm at Khoo Kongsi.

7th July 2010
Time: 7-9pm
Type: Street Celebration
Venue: Khoo Kongsi
Ticket Price: FREE

More detail on GHAFFAR POURAZAR & CHIE MORIMURA – BEIJING OPERA

EMILY OF EMERALD HILL

Scheduled to be an annual event, Georgetown Festival opens as a feast of theater, music, dance, film, art, opera, food, fashion, photography, talks and more! One the feature program, Emily of Emerald Hill theatre live in Georgetown Penang at 1, 2, 4th July 2010.

Background: Malaysia’s foremost film director Saw Teong Hin (Puteri Gunung Ledang) directing Emily of Emerald Hill with Neo Swee Lin, Pearlly Chua and Leow Puay Tin. This production will be the first time of the part of Emily is played by 3 actresses on the same stage. This dinner theatre will be at our historically elegant Town Hall that for that evening will be totally transformed to a grand dining room by Malaysian artist and set designer, Liew Kung Yu. Click here for more details.

Georgetown Penang Festival

Georgetown Festival  July 2010 - Georgetown Penang is celebrating its 2nd anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7th July 2010. A month-long “George Town Festival” is inaugurated in conjunction with this year’s celebration, featuring over 30 programs throughout the month of July! This is a concerted effort to promote ARTS and HERITAGE in Penang by the Penang State Government, Municipal Council of Penang Island, George Town World Heritage Incorporated and Penang Global Tourism.

Scheduled to be an annual event, George Town Festival opens as a feast of theatre, music, dance, film, arts, food, fashion, photography, inspirational talk and visual spectacle on the streets. By bringing together different artistic communities from local and abroad-schools, amateur groups, cultural groups, professional performers-George Town Festival thus becomes the stage for local and international artistic exchange. It is a guarantee to treat the audiences with both traditional and contemporary artistic trends from around George Town.

George Town Festival also offers creative practitioners and educators and business operators opportunities to create new works and dialogues within the context of heritage George Town. With an approximate reach-out of 200,000 people, the festival will help to promote your works to a big pool of local and international audiences. http://www.georgetownfestival.com/

Ice Kacang Puppy Love is a movie directed by Ah Niu, popular singer in Malaysia, Taiwan and China. The story of Ice Kacang Puppy Love was set in early 80s which is based largely on Ah Niu’s puppy love story and childhood experiences in Penang. That’s why the movie features a few heritage sites in Penang such as Chew’s Jetty, Esplanade, Penang Ferry and Khoo Kongsi.

Below are some photos during shooting of  “Ice Kacang Puppy Love” at Penang Chew’s Jetty.

Ah Niu & Lee Sin Jie on Ice Kacang Puppy Love

Shooting at Penang Chew's Jetty

Chew Jetty -  this is where Ah Niu and the actress, Lee Sinje back to hometown at Penang Chew Jetty to look for her father. Chew Jetty is one of the largest clan jetties along Weld Quay.  This is unique chinese settlements along Weld Quay, with homes built along wooden piers that extend to Penang Channel. It has been in existence since 19th century. The residents of each clan jetty are descendants of chinese immigrants that reflect the distinct historical, geographical and lineage of its populace.

Filmed in Georgetown Penang

Georgetown Penang has already been used as a location for many international film productions because it can be used to mimic almost any part of Asia due to its historic buildings and its multi-ethnic population, culture from which to draw supporting actors and extras.

In 1999,  The royal Court Room scenes in “Anna and The King” were filmed at the Grand Ballroom of Penang Town Hall while 19th Century Siam Port scenes were filmed at Khoo Kongsi.

In 2002, Malaysia’s own ex-James Bond girl Michelle Yeoh filmed part of her action-packed movie “The Touch”, a romantic adventure thriller at the imposing Cathay Hotel in Penang.

In 2007, the Chinese historical film about Sun Yat-Sen’s revolutionary life “Road to Dawn” was filmed entirely on Penang such as 120 Armenian Street, Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s Penang Base. At the same year, another Chinese espionage thriller film directed by Ang Lee, “Lust, Caution” also shooting the substitute scenes of early Hong Kong at Yeap Chor Ee building.

Filmed in Georgetown Penang

In 2008, drama serial of “The Little Nyonya” which produced by Singapore MediaCorp involves an extended Peranakan family story in Singapore. Part of the location were film in Penang at Pinang Peranakan Mansion or Baba-Nyonya museum, which has a rich legacy of antiques and heritage architecture.

In 2009, “The Blue Mansion”, film from Singapore director Glen Goei, is a quirky murder mystery about a wealthy Asian tycoon who dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances and returns as a ghost to try to uncover the secret of his death.It was filmed entirely on location in Penang at the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

Others international movies such as Indochine (1992), Paradise Road (1997)

Filmmakers now look to Penang as a preferred film location  instead of the expensive Dollar & Euro economy of the west. It has so far been helpful in creating Penang’s image as a popular tourist destination.

Bangun: Penang Clan Jetties Arts Project

Bangun: Penang Clan Jetties Arts Project – a multi-arts project consisting of workshops, exhibitions, performances and music. This series of events is to be held on and around the Chew Clan Jetty, Weld Quay Road, Georgetown from August 24 – 30, 2009.

Bangun is an ongoing series of contemporary site-specific art projects focusing on history, heritage, community and culture. For this project, Bangun will bring its focus to the Clan Jetty communities of Penang. Artworks and performances will relate to the culture, history or future of the Clan Jetty communities.

Workshops in poetry, dance, theatre performance, installation art, shadow puppet making and performance among others will be conducted during the week. Workshops are free and open to people of all ages and will culminate in performances and presentations in a program to be run over the weekend (Friday August 28 – Sunday August 30).

http://bangunproject.wordpress.com/

There is a special place in Penang, dubbed the ‘Street of Harmony’. Here, houses of worship representing various world religions are lined up along an axis. The place illustrates a history of peaceful religious co-existence and cultural exchange among the followers of the great faiths of Islam, Buddhism,Hinduism, Christianity, as well as the Chinese religion, which combines Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism. (source from www.globalethicpenang.net)

Click here to start the World Religious Walk Penang.

Penang St. George’s Church

Penang St. George’s Church

St. George’s Church is the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia and is located in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It was completed in 1818 on the initiative of the Penang Colonial Chaplain, Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings (who also went on to found the Penang Free School) and consecrated on 11 May 1819 by the Bishop of Calcutta, Thomas Fanshawe Middleton.

St.George’s Anglican Church is another congregation that is as old as Penang. The columns of the portico made it look like a Grecian temple. The church has come to be a symbol of religious harmony in Penang, coexisting with other religious edifices along the intersecting Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.

On 6 July 2007, the church was declared one the 50 National Treasures of Malaysia by the Malaysian government.

The New York Times recently rank Penang on its ‘44 places to go in 2009‘ list, coming in at a respectable #22. Frequent visitors and locals have known for ages that Penang is one of the world’s most culturally unique locations; rich in heritage, culture and culinary delights.

For those who think that the island has lost its charm, think again. The Pearl of the Orient can now proudly proclaim that it is worthly of its title! Whether you are here to experience the culture and the heritage or just visiting to eat your way around the island, Penang has it all.