George Town
The historic center of George Town is located in the north-east section of Penang Island and encompasses an area of roughly 259.42 hectares. Promised as a lease from the Kedah Sultanate to the East India Company in the 18th century, but forcibly taken by Captain Francis Light in 1786 before the agreement was formed, George Town consequently became the first administrative centre of the British Straits Settlements. Its role as an important port of call for ships plying the strategic Straits of Malacca has been instrumental in forming the diverse cultural fabric of the city. As merchants from all over the world came to trade, so did they bring with them their respective customs and ways of life which have taken root in the myriad expressions of the city. Today, these cultural footprints remain an indelible part of the cityscape, manifesting themselves in road names, places of worship, traditional trades, art-forms, architectural styles and of course, the food.
On 7th July, 2008, George Town and Melaka were jointly listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The following characteristics of the sites were recognized as Outstanding Universal Values:
- They represent exceptional examples of multi-cultural trading towns in East and Southeast Asia, forged from the mercantile and exchanges of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures and three successive European colonial powers for almost 500 years.
- They are living testimony to the multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia, and European colonial influences. This multi-cultural tangible and intangible heritage is expressed in the great variety of religious buildings of different faiths, ethnic quarters, the many languages, worship and religious festivals, dances, costumes, art and music, food, and daily life.
- Melaka and George Town reflect a mixture of influences which have created a unique architecture, culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and South Asia.
