Penang02

CHAPTER 2 THE TRAIL

2.1

STREET OF GEORGE TOWN The street names of George Town reflect the multicultural heritage of the city, the capital

of a former British settlement of Penang, now part of Malaysia, which has a largely Chinese population. Most streets in the city were built and named during the colonial era, and the historic English names generally remain and are still used by most Penang sites. Since the passage of the National Language Act 1967, government policy has been to use the Malay language for all official purposes, and the Malay translations of the street names are the official versions that are used on street signs. In addition to the official English and Malay names, many streets in central George Town have a mostly unrelated and original set of road names in Penang Hokkien, the language of the majority of Penang's majority Malaysian Chinese community. These are noted in the table below using the Peh-oe-ji notation common in Taiwan. As the Hokkien names cited here are not official, and are based on an oral tradition, they may be out of date. For the derivation of the Hokkien names, see the reference links at the bottom of this article. Many streets also have Cantonese names that are less well – known and are not documented here. Since independence, there have been some changes to the official names of some streets, which are noted below in their Malay forms. However, like Singapore and unlike many other cities in Malaysia, George Town has retained most of its colonial street names, although until recently they have been indicated on street signs only in their Malay translations. Until 2007, street signs in George Town were only written in Malay, as a result of the national language policy. Unfortunately, this had the effect of confusing tourists, who found it difficult to match the English names commonly used by Penang sites with the Malay names on street signs which were often very different. In the case of proper nouns, the English name is easily recognisable, e.g. Kimberley Street is Lebuh Kimberley. In other cases, the Malay translation may be unfamiliar to those who do not speak the language, e.g. Church St is literally translated as Lebuh Gereja (from the Portuguese gereja). A few streets have been given completely new names in Malay. Even where official street names have changed, the local population have largely continued informally to use the old names when referring to streets. This is partly because the new names are often unwieldy for example Green Lane vs Jalan Masjid Negeri, but also reflects a strong conservatism in the local population, who see Penang's colonial history as part of their local identity. Several years ago, when Scott Road was renamed to the tongue-twisting Jalan D S Ramanathan, after the first Mayor of the City of George Town, the new street signs were repeatedly defaced and had to be replaced many times, eventually forcing the city authorities to

fix a replacement street sign fifteen feet up a lamppost (instead of at waist-height, as was then usual). In Furthermore, since 2007, street signs have started to indicate the street names in Malay and English, as well as the town and postcode. There is as yet no official recognition of the traditional Chinese names of streets, which are now increasingly unfamiliar to young Penang sites, but it is likely that this will change as a result of political developments in Penang. In June 2007, while Penang was under the rule of Gerakan, street signs in Chinese were illegally set up by Penang's DAP Socialist Youth division along several roads in George Town under the justification it helps attract tourists from China, only to be removed by the Penang Municipal Council. On 22 July 2008 following DAP's electoral victory in Penang and George Town's entry into UNESCO's World Heritage Site list, Gerakan was reported to have placed Chinese – language on existing street signs at six roads, claiming the signs were now vital with George Town's recognition by UNESCO and serve as a reminder to DAP of its earlier promises to erect such signs if voted into office. DAP Socialist Youth Secretary Koay Teng Hai had also proposed to include Tamil and Jawi translations, depending on the cultural background of the area, along with Chinese street names. Penang's UMNO Youth division, however, objected to Gerakan's move and called for the Chinese street signs to be removed, urging the local government and government agencies to solely allow road signs written in Malay. The state government has since removed the signs, but announced its intention to put up signs in various languages for the benefit of tourists. English name Aboo Sittee Lane Acheen Street

Malay (current official) name Lorong Abu Siti Lebuh Acheh

Acheen Street Ghaut

Gat Lebuh Acheh

Argus Lane

Lorong Argus

Etymology

After the Acheenese inhabitants.

Hokkien name

Hokkien etymology

三牲巷 Sam-senghāng

Gangsters' lane

拍石街 Phah-chioh̍ ke 懸樓仔 Koâiⁿ-laû-á (id.)

Stone-breaking street Small high tower (after the four-storied corner house at Acheen & Beach Sts)

拍石街路頭 Phahchioh-ke ̍ lơ-̄ thâu 懸樓仔路頭 Koâiⁿlaû-á lơ-̄ thâu (id.)

Acheen St landing place

色藍乳禮拜堂後巷 仔 Sek-lân-ni lé-paìtng-aū ̄ hāng-á

Lane behind the Eurasian church (Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption)

萬葛里巷 Bang-kaBengali lane lí hāng W. of Cannon St 拍銅街 Phah-tângCopper-beaters' street ke E. of Cannon St Gods' lane, after the Kong-si house of the Toā Peh Kong or Kièn Tek 本頭公巷 Pún-thâusecret society (formerly kong-hāng at the junction of 建元街 kièn-gôanArmenian & Pitt Streets) ke id. there Kièn Tek society origin street

Argyll Road

Jalan Argyll

Armenian Street

Lebuh Armenian

After the Armenian inhabitants.

Lebuh Duke

After Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited and stayed here in 1869.

Esplanade

Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah

Self-describing. New Malay name after Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, Governor of Penang (19691975).

舊關仔角 Kū-koaná-kak (also King Edward Place)

Old government office corner (King Edward Place). When Gurney Drive was built, it was called the new Esplanade even though there are no government offices there.

Esplanade Road

Jalan Padang Kota Lama

Road leading from Light St to the Esplanade

草埔海墘路 Chhaúpơ haí-kiⁿ-lơ̄ id.

Grass field (cricket ground) shorefront road

Duke Street

Farquhar Street

Lebuh Farquhar

After R. T. Farquhar, Lieutenant-Governor of Penang (18041805)

Glugor

Jalan

After the area of

W. of Leith St 紅毛路 Âng-mơ-̂ lơ̄ European road (also Northam Rd, to which it joins) Leith St - Love Lane Lotus-flower pond, after a lotus-pond formerly at the side of the old St George's Girl's School, which was filled up on 蓮花河 Liên-hoa-hô account of many 色蘭乳學前 Sek-lânaccidents involving ni-oh-chêng ̍ id. people trying to get at the lotus. In front of the Serani school (St Xavier's School) E. of Love Lane In front of the old Penang 紅毛學前 Âng-mơ-̂ Free School oh-chêng ̍

Road

Gelugor

Green Hall

Green Hall

Green Lane

Jalan Masjid Negeri

Gurney Drive

Persiaran Gurney

Hong Kong Street

Jalan Cheong Fatt Tze

Hospital Road

Jalan Hospital

King Street

Lebuh King

Light Street

Lebuh Light

Glugor, where it leads 缎巴尼 Toān pá-lí 麒麟虎 Ki-lin hơ̄ Self-describing. New Malay name after the state mosque there. After Sir Henry Gurney, High Commissioner of the Federation of Malaya (1950-1951) assassinated during the Malayan Emergency. After the island of Hong Kong. New Malay name after Cheong Fatt Tze, 19th century merchant and Chinese consul in Penang, despite the fact that the famous CFT mansion is not here, but on Leith St. After the Penang General Hospital

After King George III (reigned 1760-1820).

After Captain Francis Light, Founder of

Mr Paddy's (land) (phonetic)

青草巷 Chhεⁿchhaú-hāng

Green grass lane

新關仔角 Sin-koaná-kak

New Esplanade

香港街 Hiang-kángke

Hong Kong street

病厝路 Pεⁿ-chhù-lơ ̄ ̄

Hospital road

N. of Bishop St 九間厝後 KaúBehind the nine houses keng-chhū-aū Bishop St – China St Cantonese Heavenly Emperor's street, after 廣東大伯公街 Kuíⁿthe Cantonese temple tang-toā-pεh-kongthere ke Opium farm street, after 亞片公司街 Àthe Opium & Spirit Farms phièn-kong-si-ke id. at the junction with China St China St – Market St Old Ho Seng secret 舊和勝公司街 Kūsociety street hô-seng-kong-si-ke S. of Market St 吉寧仔街 Kiet-lêngá-ke (also Market Indian street St, formerly also Chulia St (E. of Pitt St)) Entrance to the Police 玻理口 Po-lê-khaú Court, now the

Logan Road

Jalan Logan

Love Lane

Lorong Cinta

Muntri Street

Lebuh Muntri

Rope Walk

Jalan Pintal Tali

Stewart Lane

Lorong Stewart

Penang and Superintendent of the colony (17861794) After J. R. Logan, lawyer and editor of the Pinang Gazette, to whom the Logan Memorial in the grounds of the Supreme Court Building on Light St is dedicated.

After the ropewalk formerly there

Legislative Assembly buildings

色蘭乳巷 Sek-lânEurasian (Serani) lane, ní-hāng (also after the inhabitants Muntri St) 南華醫院街 Lâmhoa-i īⁿ-ke Lam Wah Ee Hospital street, after the hospital 新海南公司街 Sinformerly here hái-lâm-kong-si-ke New Hainanese id. association street 色蘭乳巷 Sek-lânEurasian lane ní-hāng id. (also Love Lane) 拍索巷 Phah-sohhāng (also Ropemakers' lane Kimberley St) Ghee Hock society street 義福街 Ｇ ī-hok-ke id. S. of Kimberley St Kerosene-lamp tube 煙筒路 Ien-tâng-lơ̄ road 觀音亭後 Koan-imBehind the Goddess of têng-aū Mercy temple 三板巷 Sam-pánBoat lane hāng id.

Table 2.0: List of street names in George Town. Source: Khoo, S. N., (1993)

2.2

PENANG HERITAGE TRAILS AND IT SIGNIFICANT

This trip is to full fill our project for conservation paper. Our trip was divided into two groups in Penang Heritage trail one and Penang Heritage trail two. Our group that consist five

group member was in trail two that the main visited is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion that was built long time ago, while trail one have been visited the Harmony Road that consist many religious places and we can conclude that all religious can live together in harmony and peace.

Penang Heritage Trail is not enough if just giving education to the people about heritage building and cultural value there. The trail also conscious us about the entire valuable thing that belong to us and must be well care to keep the buildings which symbolize our beautiful culture for the future generation. The buildings might be unimportant to certain peoples but for UNESCO it is a huge means to the world community and should be much appreciated.

Along the trail, most of the buildings have their own unique characteristics and historical value. It’s obviously will seen by the architectural values, the buildings type and style, beautiful and rare artworks, decorations, buildings function and many mores. Besides, various culture and races can be described by the looks of the building which situated side by side, it also identified that our peoples live in harmony without any conflict even come from different root and heritage. That why we can see building such a Town Hall, City Hall, High Court, Penang State Museum, Church of Assumption, St. George Church, shop houses, Blue Mansions, mosques and many more are built at the same area and close from each other.

The Penang States Government and related parties also give fully cooperation to conserve the heritage buildings around that area. This kind of works are gladly appreciated because of the commitment that given by the each parties. As examples, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was nominated and awarded as the best conservation works done by that particular year. Other building show the incoming culture and religion to the Penang like St George Church which built a few years lately from other building around it because of the their religion different from others. Some of the shop houses along this trail show various kinds of culture and style in design of the building. They show the cultural value of that area which maybe didn’t have at the other place in the world. As long as this building is in good condition, it must be maintain and preserve to make sure it can be a good learning method for the future generation in order that they will appreciate it.